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Archive for Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Archive for Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Different name, high quality of care the same
By Teresa McQuerrey
The name is new — Hospice Compassus — but Rim Country
June 24, 2009
residents will find the high quality of care is the same. RTA Hospice
became Hospice Compassus recently, but the name change has not
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had an impact on the services it provides to people in the last stages of
life and their loved ones.
The Hospice Compassus company, based in Tennessee, has 53
facilities in 15 states and has been providing services since 1979.
Among the few changes the new management is planning is to provide
ADVE RT I SEMENT
more community education programs, according to Director Carol
Davison.
“We want to give back to the community for all it has done in helping
Andy Towle/Roundup [email protected]
Left to right: Caroline Yost, Kathy
Vance and Cathy Kesterson are part
of the Hospice Compassus family.
The medical personnel, support staff
and volunteers all work in teams to
provide the most comprehensive
services to their clients.
Hospice grow,” Davison said.
Hospice care is for people who have a life expectancy of six months or
less and have chosen to focus on palliative care, comfort and relief
from pain and symptoms. Hospice care affirms the belief that it is
important to make every moment of life as meaningful as possible,
ADVE RT I SEMENT
from the first days of a life-limiting illness to the last, and to provide
care to the patient and family reflecting a living expression of love,
warmth and compassion.
Diagnoses commonly associated with hospice care include cancer and
other end-stage diseases such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s
disease, respiratory disease, liver/renal disease, AIDS/HIV, adult
failure to thrive, neurological disease, stroke or coma. Individuals
appropriate for hospice care may exhibit some or all of the following:
frequent hospitalizations, progressive weight loss, deteriorating mental
abilities, recurrent infections or specific decline in condition.
Andy Towle/Roundup [email protected]
The patient is the one who directs
the care provided by Hospice
Compassus through staff and
volunteers such as Dan Lowe.
Hospice Compassus provides services where the patient desires: at
home, at the residence of a relative or friend, in an assisted living
facility or nursing home, or at Hospice House.
ADVE RT I SEMENT
PHOTO GALLERIES
The services provided include medical management, personal care
assistance and emotional and spiritual support.
In the medical management service the trained clinical teams create
plans of care designed specifically for each patient and their loved
ones’ comfort and quality of life. The plan includes physician directed
services, advanced nursing care, medications, medical equipment and
supplies and short-term inpatient care.
Personal care assistance is designed to lessen family burdens and
provide patient dignity. This daily living personal care assistance is
provided by hospice aides and includes personal care management,
Andy Towle/Roundup [email protected]
The patient is the one who directs
the care provided by Hospice
Compassus through staff and
volunteers such as Christy Warner
and Lorna Hansen.
routine breaks for caregivers and incontinence supplies.
The emotional and spiritual support for both hospice patients and their
families is provided by experienced professionals and is available oncall around the clock. The support includes medical social services,
http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2009/jun/24/different_name_high_quality_care_sa...
9/22/2009
The Payson Roundup / Different name, high quality of care the same
respite care, crisis counseling, spiritual counseling, bereavement
services and help from trained volunteers.
Page 2 of 3
PHOTOS
The care offered by Hospice Compassus is a fully covered
Medicare/Medicaid benefit, unlimited in length, and many private
insurance companies also cover it. Most plans cover hospice care,
medications, supplies and equipment related to the hospice diagnosis
with no out-of-pocket expenses to the patient.
Early referrals help patients and their families access and receive the
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maximum benefit and full scope of hospice service. These referrals
generally come from health care professionals, but can also be made
by the patient, their family, friends and spiritual counselors.
The plan of care provided through Hospice Compassus is directed by
the patient and managed by the team assigned to that patient which
includes but is not limited to the medical director, the patient’s primary
care physician, experienced nurses, social workers and therapists,
hospice aides and nursing assistants, chaplains and bereavement
counselors and trained volunteers.
The volunteer corps at Hospice Compassus is essential to the services
provided. Volunteers with hospice are compassionate, caring and
loving. Volunteers give their time, talent and hearts with generosity and
unselfishly. Typically they help by forming close bonds with patients
and family members, by listening to patients and acknowledging their
feelings in an unbiased way as they share their life story, and by
supporting family members as they seek ways to comfort their loved
one. Volunteers also may help improve communication within families
by encouraging healthy interactions to open the way for people to talk
honestly. Volunteers also assist in a variety of other ways with patient
support, bereavement, and administrative tasks.
Patient support volunteers make friendly visits to both the patient and
their family, write letters, read to patients, do light housekeeping and
meal preparation, run errands or do hair care.
Bereavement volunteers support families and friends of deceased
patients. During the grieving process, the volunteer is an invaluable
resource, especially for those who lack a solid support network. These
volunteers assist with grief support groups, coordinate community
resources and help the bereavement coordinator with writing letters
and making calls.
Administrative volunteers help the staff, often working in the office.
Tasks include such things as typing, filing and other light office work;
sending birthday cards, sympathy cards and bereavement notes;
assisting at community workshops; coordinating support services; and
making deliveries.
Volunteers are given in-depth training before being assigned to
hospice patients. However, many bring first-hand experience to
hospice, having been close to the last stages of life of a family member
or friend, or perhaps seen the work of hospice through that process.
Formal training is provided on the goals and philosophy of hospice
care; the responsibilities and duties of caring for patients and their
families; the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of death and
dying; listening and communication skills; patient and family rights;
family relationships; spiritual and cultural diversity; and patient
confidentiality.
After training is completed, volunteers determine how much time they
commit to hospice work. Whether dedicating as little as two hours a
month or six hours a week, all efforts are appreciated and much
needed.
http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2009/jun/24/different_name_high_quality_care_sa...
9/22/2009
The Payson Roundup / Different name, high quality of care the same
Page 3 of 3
To learn more about Hospice Compassus, call (928) 472-6340 or 800450-9558, online visit www.hospicecompassus.com or visit the hospice News archives / About / Advertising / Feedback / Contact /
facility at 511 S. Mud Springs Road, Payson.
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