Our Approach to Treatment
Hospice of Central Pennsylvania cares for and supports our patients and their families through a team of compassionate professionals and volunteers who have been specifically trained to provide end of life care. The objective of the hospice team is to provide aid and assistance to patients, caregivers and other loved ones as they cope with the many physical and emotional challenges related to a terminal illness.
Our care begins with our staff gaining an understanding of our patient and his or her unique experience and needs. Because we seek to care for the whole family, we also spend time getting to know the caregivers and other family members and friends who may be involved in patient care.
By learning more about those who will be helping to provide care, we are better able to determine our patient's unique needs and the level of education and support required by the caregiver.
Our Hospice Care Team
Hospice care involves skilled professionals and volunteers from many disciplines. The hospice care team that we bring to our patients and their families includes:
• Nurses
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• Volunteers |
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| • Patient’s Personal Physician |
• Patient’s Clergy |
| • Hospice Medical Director |
• Hospice Chaplain |
| • Home Health Aides |
• Social Workers |
| • Counselors/Bereavement Counselors |
• Palliative Massage Therapist |
| • Music Practitioner |
• Others as appropriate |
Our nurses coordinate care for each of our patients, and they educate caregivers who choose to care for their loved one in their home. The nurses also work closely with the patient’s personal physician to control pain and treat the symptoms of the patient’s disease.
Home health aides are available to provide personal care for the patient.
Our social workers and counselors visit regularly to help coordinate care and to provide emotional support to the patient and the family.
We have volunteers who are available to commit four to six hours per week to offer respite to the family, run errands and provide emotional support to both the patient and family.
We have a chaplain, who can assist family clergy with pastoral care or act as the primary source of spiritual support for patients and family who desire these services.
We offer the services of a palliative massage therapist and a music practitioner. Palliative massage seeks to reduce emotional and spiritual pain by relieving muscle tension, increasing circulation and relieving emotional strain. Music therapy can help improve the patient's sense of well-being and help relieve both the patient's and caregiver's feelings of stress.
Our bereavement services are offered to family members for up to 14 months following the death of a loved one. These services and our bereavement support groups are open to all members of our community and are free of charge.
Care Locations
Our goal is to provide hospice services in the environment which best meets the needs of the individual patient, caregiver and other family members. To that end, we provide care in whatever setting our patient calls home:
Personal Home – When possible and desired, we help our patients remain at home during their terminal illness. Whether care is provided in the patient’s home or in a caregiver’s home, our team of professionals and volunteers makes sure that the appropriate equipment and supplies are placed in the residence so that it is as comfortable and well equipped as possible.
Nursing, Assisted and Independent Living Facilities – When caring for a patient who resides in a nursing home, an assisted living or an independent living facility, our hospice team complements the services and skills of the facility staff and works with that staff to care for the patient. In addition, we offer our full spectrum of support services to the patient’s family.
Our Hospice Residence – When a patient is unable to remain at home during his or her terminal illness, we offer the next best thing – our home, the Carolyn Croxton Slane Hospice Residence. This six-bed personal care residence provides a warm, home-like atmosphere in a serene wooded setting. Located on Linglestown Road in Susquehanna Township, our hospice residence allows us to provide 24 hour patient care in addition to all of our other hospice services.
What to Expect When You First Call Hospice
When you call our office for information, our receptionist will connect you with one of our nurses or social workers who can share information with you and answer any questions that you may have about hospice care. If you are calling to arrange for a member of our hospice team to meet with a patient to discuss hospice care, you may also be asked some of the questions listed below:
- What is the patient’s name, address and phone number?
- What is the primary diagnosis?
- Who is the patient’s primary physician?
- Who is referring the patient to hospice?
- What type of insurance coverage does the patient have, if any, – e.g., Medicare, private insurance, Medicaid?
- What is the patient’s date of birth, age, social security number (if known)?
When appropriate and desired, we will schedule a visit to the patient’s home, nursing home, assisted living facility or hospital. We try to make this visit within 24 hours of your phone call, and we coordinate the timing so that you and other family members of your choice may be present.
Additional Information
For your convenience, we have included links to other web sites that provide information on terminal illnesses and related topics:
Hospice / End of Life Care
www.growthhouse.org – Wide range of resources for end of life care, grief and loss
www.nhpco.org – General information on hospice care and advance planning from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Org.
www.dyingwell.org/faq.htm - Frequently asked questions about end of life issues
www.chionline.org – Information from Children’s Hospice International regarding hospice and palliative care for children
www.hospicenet.org - Information for patients and caregivers facing life-limiting illness
www.caringinfo.org – The Caring Connections site is a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization that provides free resources, information and motivation for actively learning about end-of-life options.
Caregiving
www.caregiver.org - Information and education from the Family Caregiver Alliance to support and sustain the work of families caring for loved ones
www.careguideathome.com – Information to help families plan and manage care for an elderly loved one
www.nfcacares.org – Information from the National Family Caregivers Association to assist families caring for someone who is chronically ill
www.healthinaging.org - The American Gerontological Society’s Online Caregiver Guide
www.caregiving101.org – The Center for Caregiver Training offers practical information and strategies for individuals caring for loved ones.
www.thoughtful-caregiver.com - Encouragement and wisdom for those who are caring for another person
www.caringbridge.org - Offers Free, personalized websites that support and connect loved ones during critical illness, treatment and recovery
Advance Planning
www.agingwithdignity.org – Information about advance planning and living wills
www.ethicalwill.com – Information on creating an ethical wills to pass on personal values
www.nhpco.org – General information on hospice care and advance planning from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
National Research and Advocacy Organizations
www.alz.org – Alzheimer’s Association
www.alsa.org – ALS Association (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease)
www.cancer.org – American Cancer Society
www.americanheart.org – American Heart Association
www.parkinson.org – National Parkinson Foundation |
