Hospice Hawaii care means comfort and the highest quality of life possible for you and your family. Hospice is people caring for you and your family through a team approach. You, along with your family, will be able to help plan a treatment program to fit your needs. Hospice supports your choices, preserves your dignity and allows you the opportunity to live as fully as possible in the comfort of your own home or other chosen setting. Hospice is people… people caring for you with an expertise that is unsurpassed. The following is a list of some of the people who will be helping with your care.

The Interdisciplinary Care Team

• Your Own Physician:
  Directs the care you receive from Hospice Hawaii.



• Hospice Hawaii Physician:
  Works with your physician to assure the best possible care.



• Registered Nurse Case Manager:
  Works with your physician to bring a modern and holistic approach to symptom control and pain management. Teaches you how to care for your loved one. Is specially trained and certified in hospice and palliative care.



• Certified Nurses Aide:
  Provides assistance with bathing, dressing and personal grooming.



• Licensed Social Worker:
  Provides individual/couple/group therapy for a diverse range of issues related to grief/loss, adjustment to illness, relationships/family dynamics, mental health, abuse, symptom/pain management, spirituality and bereavement. They facilitate case management with referral to appropriate community resources and promote patient and family advocacy. Social workers also provide education regarding end-of-life care issues including medical decision-making, Advanced Directives, disease process and care giving to patients and families.



• Chaplain:
  Hospice Hawaii offers non-denominational spiritual support as part of its care. Some patients and families ask our Chaplain to assist them in reconnecting to their faith. Others find that our Chaplain can help them frame their life in a meaningful way through talking and sharing stories.



• Bereavement Counselor:
Assists in addressing issues of regret, forgiveness, and abandonment.  Tough questions such as "Why me?" or "Why now?" may be explored.  Counselors of various denominations are also available for visits at the request of the patient and family.  The number of visits will vary according to individual needs.



• On-call Nurse:
  Provides support after hours and on weekends as part of the hospice care. The individual nurse case managers provide patient status reports to the on-call nurse to ensure that the continuum of care is smooth and updated. We recommend calling the on-call nurse when families are faced with a situation they do not know how to handle. The on-call nurse will make a home visit when the family and the nurse feel it is necessary. If a death occurs during on-call hours, the on-call nurse will make a home visit to assist the family. The nurse will contact the physician and mortuary.



• Volunteer:
  Trained volunteers are an important part of the hospice team. They support the patient & family by providing limited personal care, including respite care for family members and other caregivers, running errands, light housekeeping, preparing meals, and providing emotional support, comfort and companionship to a patient and family. The number of volunteers and the frequency of their visits will vary according to each family's special needs. Volunteers are brought onto the team to supplement the care giving plan, not to replace the primary caregiver. Requests for volunteer support can be relayed through any of the Hospice Hawaii team members or called in directly to the Volunteer Coordinator by the family.



• Other Health Care Professionals:
  Offering physical, occupational, art therapy, speech therapy or dietary counseling as needed.