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Hospice
River Region Hospice provides end of life care to persons and families in the entire New Orleans Metropolitan area and river parishes, including: Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, St. Charles Parish, Lafourche Parish, St. Bernard Parish, Terrebonne Parish, St. James Parish, and St. John Parish.

The journey through life is easier with a compassionate guide and a warm hand to hold. River Region Hospice provides this through choices, comfort and peace of mind. This compassionate care is only a phone call away.

The modern concept of the hospice is still developing and there are different ideas about what is involved. One commonly held view is that "hospice" simply means "terminal care" and that patients should only be referred to a hospice when they are near to death.

Experience shows, however, that this approach is too narrow. Although the quality of the care given to the dying is central to hospice work, the periods before and after the actual process of death are just as important to the patient and his family.

River Region Hospice provides services to persons who meet the admission criteria regardless of age, color, race, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disabilities. This agency respects individual patient/family values, religious preferences, individuality, privacy and dignity.

"You matter because you are who you are. You matter to the last moment of your life, and we will do all we can, not only to help you die peacefully, but to live until you die."

Dame Cicely Saunders
Founder of the Modern Hospice Movement

Five Principles of Palliative Care

  1. Palliative care respects the goals, likes, and choices of the dying person.
  2. Palliative care looks after the medical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of the dying person.
  3. Palliative care supports the needs of the family.
  4. Palliative care helps gain access to needed health care providers and appropriate care settings.
  5. Palliative care builds ways to provide excellent care at the end of life.

Taken from:
Taylor, G. & Kurent, J. (2003) A Clinician's Guide to Palliative Care. Malden, Massachusetts.

Hospice Care Team
The quality of River Region Hospice care is the result of those who do the caring. A Hospice team consists of the following:
  • Physician Care - The patient's attending physician is responsible for direction of medical care and treatment. The Hospice Medical Director is available to serve as a liaison between the Hospice team and the attending physician.
     
  • Nursing Care - A Hospice Registered Nurse is assigned to each patient to assist with pain and symptom control and to monitor the patient's changing needs. A skilled Nurse makes weekly visits to the patient's home, with additional visits as needed.
     
  • On-Call Nursing Care - A Hospice nurse is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist with pain and symptom control issues and other urgent questions or concerns that arise.
     
  • Home Health Aide Care - A Certified Home Health Aide or LPN is available to assist the patient with bathing and personal care. Visits are scheduled according to patient/caregiver needs.
     
  • Counseling Services - A Hospice Support Counselor is available for counseling and support of the patient and family and to assist with accessing any community resources.
     
  • Spiritual Care - The Hospice Spiritual Care Team is available to provide spiritual support
     to the patient and family or to serve as a liaison between the Hospice team and the patient's faith community.
     
  • Volunteer Services - are available to provide a variety of services such as respite care, companionship, transportation and assistance with light housekeeping. Volunteers are arranged as requested by the patient and family.
     
  • Nutritional Counseling - A Hospice Dietician is available to the patient and family as desired.
     
  • Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy - These services are provided with physician order through arrangement with contracted agencies or individuals.
     
  • Bereavement Care - Hospice Bereavement Counselors are available for grief counseling and bereavement support for 13 months following the patient's death.

    Arrangements for immediate needs are made when the patient begins Hospice care. Hospice staff assist the patient and family in developing a plan of care and reevaluating the plan throughout their Hospice care.


On Call Team

We have on call teams available around the clock to answer questions, offer advice or to make a necessary visit to a patient's home.

  • Pharmacists
  • Attending physicians
  • Hospice Medical Directors
  • Registered Nurses

In addition, certain individuals may qualify for:

  • Occupational therapists
  • Speech / language pathologists
  • Dieticians

 
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