Medical Directors
The Hospice of South Texas medical director is a doctor of medicine or osteopathy who supervises, reviews, manages and coordinates clinical care for all the patients in the hospice program.
He or she:
- Reviews patient eligibility for hospice services
- Acts as a medical resource to the patient care team
- Acts as a liaison with physicians and other referral sources in community
Registered Nurses
The Hospice of South Texas registered nurse is responsible for the coordination of all hospice services.
Our registered nurses are highly trained in hospice care and available 24 hours a day to identify and address issues and symptoms, and to teach caregivers how to make their loved one pain free and more comfortable.
Scope and frequency of services are based on initial and ongoing assessments of the patient’s needs.
Hospice of South Texas nursing provides:
- Initial and ongoing assessment of the patient’s physical symptoms
- Symptom management and comfort care interventions
- Support and teaching for the patient and family
- Identification of problems and appropriate goals and interventions
- Documentation of patient/family participation in response to the plan of care
- Coordination of all patient/family hospice services
Certified Nurse Assistant
Hospice of South Texas Nurse Assistants are specially trained to assist the caregiver in providing the patient’s personal care needs and help with activities of daily living.
Duties Include:
- Hands-on care of the patient as needed and directed by the plan of care and under the direction of the registered nurse.
- Assistance in ambulating or exercising.
- Assistance in providing a sanitary environment for the patient by maintaining an orderly and clean patient room, bathroom, and meal preparation area
Social Workers
Hospice of South Texas social services are based on an initial visit to assess the psychosocial and social needs of the patient and family which is conducted by a licensed social worker. It is provided in accordance with the plan of care to assist the patient and family in dealing with the psychosocial aspect of a life-limiting illness.
Licensed social workers are skilled in interviewing techniques and evaluation skills and have knowledge about available community resources. They offer individual and family counseling related to living with an end-stage illness.
Common areas of concern may include:
- Assistance with problem solving
- Making end of life choices and decisions
- Grieving losses and accepting change
- Coping with family concerns
- Dealing with stress
- Managing caregiver issues
- Saying goodbye
- Dealing with conflicting situations
- Getting ‘affairs in order’
- Talking with children about the situation
Hospice of South Texas provides counseling services as needed and ordered by the plan of care to assist the patient and family with coping with terminal illness, death and bereavement.
In addition, social workers are trained to work with special circumstances in families such as mental illness, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities.
Chaplain
Hospice of South Texas Spiritual Care is coordinated by the Hospice Chaplain. Spiritual services are provided in a manner that is consistent with the patient and / or family beliefs and desire for service.
Spiritual Care provides either directly or through coordination with the patient’s / family’s religious organization, appropriate interventions for such issues as:
- Hopelessness
- Loss of Faith
- Failure
- Anger
- Despair
- Betrayal
- Fear/Dread
- Guilt
- Forgiveness
- Hope
- Profound Sadness
- Abandonment
- Promise of the future