Bereavement: A vital component of hospice care that involves assessing the needs of grieving families and creating personalized support plans. This care often begins before the patient’s passing and continues afterward. Hospice teams encourage healthy expressions of grief, respect cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity in mourning practices, and facilitate meaningful funeral services and rituals for families and staff.
Children’s Hospice: A specialized approach to care that addresses the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of children or adolescents with life-limiting conditions, alongside the needs of their families.
Children’s/Pediatric Hospice Patient: A young patient receiving care, along with their family unit, which may include siblings, grandparents, extended relatives, and close friends.
Chronic: A condition or illness that is ongoing and incurable but is neither life-threatening nor progressive.
Community: The individuals, organizations, and institutions within the geographical area served by a hospice program.
Denial: A natural emotional response in which terminally ill patients or their families refuse to accept the medical prognosis as a defense mechanism.
Dying: The process where critical body systems progressively fail, resulting in the natural limitation of life expectancy.
Family: Anyone who provides emotional, psychological, or spiritual support to the patient, whether or not they are blood relatives. Families are considered integral to the hospice care plan.
Grief: A deeply personal response to loss that may occur before or after death. Grief can present as emotional, physical, or psychological distress, and family members may grieve in unique ways and at different times. While some people cope independently, others may need professional support over an extended period.
Home Care Services: Hospice care delivered by an interdisciplinary team directly in the patient’s home, tailored to meet the needs of both the patient and their family.
Hospice: A philosophy and model of care designed to meet the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of individuals with life-limiting illnesses and their families.
Inpatient Services: Hospice services offered in a facility setting, such as a hospice care center or hospital, to provide comprehensive care and support for patients and families.
Interdisciplinary Hospice Team: A collaborative care model involving professionals like physicians, nurses, counselors, social workers, volunteers, chaplains, and therapists. This team, guided by the patient and family’s needs, works together to deliver holistic care.
Life-Limiting Condition: Any illness or condition that, due to its severity or progression, poses a threat to the patient’s life.
Medicaid: A government-funded program providing medical assistance to individuals and families who meet specific income criteria.
Pain and Symptom Management: A core goal of hospice care is enhancing quality of life by using palliative therapies to effectively manage pain and symptoms while minimizing side effects. Comprehensive care includes addressing physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs to alleviate stress and promote well-being for both patients and families.
Palliative Care: A care approach focused on alleviating the physical and emotional symptoms of serious illnesses, aiming to improve comfort and quality of life.
Psychological/Social Services: Therapy or counseling provided to support the emotional and social well-being of the patient and their family, fostering personal growth and positive coping strategies.
Respite Care: Temporary relief for caregivers, allowing them time to rest and recharge while ensuring the patient continues to receive quality care from hospice practitioners.
Spiritual Care: Guidance and support for patients and families to explore and address religious, philosophical, or personal concerns, tailored to individual beliefs and values.
Volunteer: A person who donates their time and skills to support hospice programs without monetary compensation. Patient care volunteers provide companionship and emotional support to patients and families, while bereavement care volunteers offer ongoing support to families after a patient’s passing.