The best medical services provided by St. Markoss Hospice
Skilled Nursing Care
These services are provided by licensed nursing personnel (i.e., RN or LPN) on an intermittent or hourly basis. Training/teaching of the patient and/or caregiver as appropriate for the services above can be considered a skilled nursing service.
Pain and Symptom management
Pain can be effectively managed at the end of life, and the St. Markoss Hospice makes pain management a priority. Families of patients receiving hospice care reported that patients' pain management regimens were appropriately tailored to their symptom levels, a key component of quality care and patient satisfaction.
Social and Emotional Support
The main responsibilities of hospice social workers include conducting psychosocial assessments, coordinating care, providing counseling and psychotherapy, intervening in client crisis situations, and educating clients and families about their treatment plan and the resources and support systems available to them.
Respite Care
Respite care is short-term relief for in-home hospice caregivers. Hospice respite care allows a family caregiver to get a break from caregiving duties while the patient is cared for. Medicare guidelines allow for more than one respite occurrence.
Physical and Speech therapy
Physical therapists teach patients how to prevent or manage their condition in order to achieve long-term health benefits. In the case of hospice patients, PTs design their programs customized to each individual in order to optimize the remaining quality of life.
Dietary Counseling
Dietary counseling provides individualized nutritional care for encouraging the modification of eating habits. It may also assist in prevention or treatment of nutrition-related illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia.
Core and Non-core Hospice Services
Core services, which are defined by the Code of Federal Regulations governing hospice care as services that must be provided by hospice staff employed by the hospice, include skilled nursing services, physician services, volunteer services, counseling services (including bereavement counseling), spiritual care, dietary counseling, and social services.
Noncore services, which are defined by the Code of Federal Regulations governing hospice care as services that may be outsourced by the hospice provider, include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech–language pathology, home health care, homemaker services, administration and provision of drugs, biologicals and medical supplies, continuous home care, respite care, and other services.