OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this program, the hospice aide will be able to:
1. Name two major goals of hospice care
2. Explain the difference between traditional curative care and hospice care, and
3. List three services provided by a hospice program
OVERVIEW
Hospice care focuses on comfort and support for terminally ill patients and their families. It is a comprehensive set of services identified and coordinated by an Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) to provide for the physical, psychosocial, spiritual, and emotional needs of a terminally ill patient and the family, as outlined in a specific plan of care. It focuses on comfort measures and dignity for the patient, not on curative care.
Originally the most common diagnosis for hospice patients was some type of cancer. Today, diagnoses include Alzheimer's disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, liver and renal disease, and more. Because hospice is a philosophy and not a place, care is provided in many settings. This in-service lesson provides the background information a hospice aide needs to be a valuable member of the hospice team.
Listed below are 13 lessons to complete. For each lesson:
1. Click on the lesson and read the lesson (10 minutes)
2. Read the Case Study (10 minutes)
3. Complete "Think About It" (5 minutes)
4. Click on the lesson test and complete the test online (20 minutes)
