Support in a time of need. The team approach at Mercy Medical Hospice addresses medical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
Mercy Medical Hospice, Daphne, AL, uses an interdisciplinary team approach, which includes medical, nursing, social work, pastoral care, pharmacy, therapies, volunteer, and bereavement services. Mercy Medical has two home care offices and offers inpatient respite care for short periods, which is helpful for those who have an inadequate care giver system or need time to work out a better alternative to care in the home. An assessment of medical and nursing care needs, mental and emotional state, and psychological and spiritual needs is the first step after patients enter hospice. The entire team develops a care plan for the patient and family. Among the issues they address are education about the disease process, medication for pain control and symptom management, and how the patient and family cope with the patient's imminent death. Working with the dying and their families can be stressful for staff members, and they offer each other a lot of support. Working in hospice requires good stress management techniques, but staff feel that it is a calling that enriches their lives.
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D000407:Alabama; D001601:Bereavement; D003376:Counseling; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D006738:Hospices / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care; D010327:Pastoral Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012144:Respite Care / Q000458:organization & administration