River Region Hospice :: Physical Care of the Patient

Physical Care of the Patient

Physical care of the hospice recipient follows a holistic approach to care ensuring the patient’s unique needs are met in a peaceful environment. An interdisciplinary team assists the patient with exploring, defining, and implementing individualized goals of treatment. The holistic approach to treatment is centered around comprehensive assessments, promoting the quality of life, and developing proactive treatment plans for the management of symptoms. Hospice services supplement and enhance care with the highest priority of advocating for the needs and values of each patient and family. Open communication and constant evaluation of treatments allow each individual to spend each day the way they choose.

At River Region Hospice, we firmly believe that the type and intensity of treatment provided should be dictated by the disease process, pertinent history, and current symptoms. Symptoms that have the potential to or do cause distress. Our goal is to enable the patient to remain in their home environment without making frequent hospital trips or doctors’ appointments. Most hospice interventions can be initiated and maintained in the home. However, there are instances in which a medical emergency or crisis arrive necessitating inpatient hospice services or emergency-room treatment. The hospice team coordinates the care appropriate for each individual.

Common symptoms treated during end-of-life care:

pressure ulcers	pain	nausea or vomiting
dry mouth	seizures	respiratory conditions or secretions
puritius	fistulas	Mucositis
delirium	Candidiasis	confusion
dimension	wounds	terminal restlessness
anorexia	agitation	aphasia
bladder spasms	cachexia	bowel obstructions
bowel and bladder incontinence	urinary or bladder infections	swallowing difficulties
constipation	diarrhea	bleeding disorders
shortness of breath	cough	mobility impairment
hiccups	fatigue