As I think back to my time at Hospice Ministries in the role of Clinical Director I remember often telling people both professionally and personally how rewarding taking care of hospice patients was. The interdisciplinary team approach allows hospice patients and families to have spiritual, physical, and emotional needs met on a daily basis. Taking care of the physical needs of the patient was the easy part. Being invited into patient homes and interacting with the families to meet their needs was special. Initially, families trusted us to come into their homes to care for the physical needs of their loved ones. Our team of nurses, aides, chaplains, social workers, and volunteers were introduced to the family and over time the families learned that hospice was more than caring for the physical needs of their loved one. I enjoyed getting the opportunity to go to patient homes to hear how our team was taking care of them, not just their loved ones but the family. Families reported special relationships built between their loved ones and their hospice team. Many times they would say “We could not have done this without our hospice team.”
~By Tony West, MSN, MHS, RN, FNP-C Former Director of Clinical Services