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HOSPICE
Providing support and
compassionate care
HISTORICALLY,
the idea of
hospice meant offering shelter to
a weary or sick traveler on a long
journey. Today, most of us associ-
ate hospice with compassionate care
given to someone nearing the end of
his or her life.
Even with the best treatment avail-
able, a serious illness can become
terminal. But people still have choices.
Hospice care can be one of them.
The goal of hospice care is to make
people as comfortable as possible.
This way, they can live the remainder
of their lives with dignity and spend
time with their family and friends.
Treatment includes pain and symptom
management, emotional support, and
spiritual counseling. A hospice care
team may include:
•
Doctors and nurses.
•
Home health aides.
•
A mental health therapist.
•
A spiritual counselor.
Choosing hospice
The patient and his or her family can
decide what kind of hospice services
will be most helpful. Care can be
provided in the person’s home or at
a hospital, nursing home or private
hospice facility.
Dee Rathjen, of Pierce, learned rst-
hand the bene ts of hospice care when
husband. Now I can’t say enough how
much this type of care helped me
through this dif cult time.”
Did you know?
Faith Regional Hospice works to make
individuals comfortable and relieve
symptoms, including pain and nausea.
Nursing, spiritual care, volunteer ser-
vices, therapy and social services can
be delivered to terminally ill patients
at home, in a care center or at Faith
Regional.
Care is available for patients in
approximately a 35-mile radius of
Norfolk, including Antelope, Cedar,
Colfax, Cuming, Madison, Pierce, Platte,
Stanton and Wayne counties.
managing care for her ailing husband.
He was referred to hospice when he
became too ill to tolerate his medication
but wanted to still remain at home.
“I read some information about
hospice care that the doctor gave me
and thought I could handle this type
of care myself,” Rathjen says. “But I
later decided to learn more, and I’m
sure glad I did.”
Rathjen and her husband received
care that included visits from nurs-
ing staff, volunteers, therapists, social
workers and even a spiritual care chap-
lain. This helped Rathjen prepare and
make arrangements for needed medical
care and emotional support throughout
her husband’s care.
“All the staff were awesome
and helped make everything go
smoothly,” Rathjen says. “When deal-
ing with an illness in your family, you
are scared of what is going to happen
next, but they were always there to
help me every step of the way leading
up to his death and beyond.
“I never realized what hospice care
was prior to my experience with my
CONSIDERING HOSPICE?
Go online at
frhs.org
and click on “Our
Services,” then “Hospice,” or find Faith
Regional on Facebook to read more
stories of individuals who have experienced
Faith Regional Hospice services.
About Faith
Regional
Hospice
•
Joint Commission-certi ed.
•
Offering local, faith-based care
since 1985.
•
Provides seamless care from home
health to hospice.
Call
402-644-7453
to talk to a Faith
Regional Hospice care professional.
12 FAITH REGIONAL
HEALTH SERVICES