Who Makes Up the Hospice Team?
Hospice care is a family-centered approach that includes a team of doctors, nurses, home health aides, social workers, chaplains, counselors, and trained volunteers. This team works together to care for the needs of the dying patient. This care focuses on the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of the patient, as well as the emotional and spiritual needs of the family members. The goal of hospice care is to help keep the patient as pain-free as possible, with loved ones nearby until death. The hospice team develops an individualized care plan that meets each person’s specific needs for pain management and symptom control. Other members of the team may include speech therapists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists, when needed. Often, the patient’s personal physician may also be included. However, a patient can choose to have their personal doctor take charge of the medical care or he or she may choose to have the hospice medical director take charge of the med
