HAVE A GIFT FOR CARING? BECOME A HOSPICE VOLUNTEER Hospice volunteers are vital members of the health care team who support and assist terminally ill patients and their families. Through the unique contributions of volunteers, terminally ill patients are able to remain at home—comfortable and close to family and friends. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for Deaconess Hospice Care, call the volunteer coordinator. 812/450-7376.

Deaconess Hospice Care

The Hospice Program provides special, comforting care for patients with terminal illnesses and their families. We recognize that these patients have unique needs and allow patients to make informed decisions about how and where they want to spend the rest of their lives. Our program is designed to meet the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of each individual.

To learn more about Deaconess Hospice Care services, all 812/ 450-HOPE (4673) or toll-free 800/ 440-9816, 24 hours a day.

A Specialized Team  of professionals and specially trained volunteers provide Hospice care services, working in cooperation with attending physicians. Team members conduct regular home visits, and nurses are available by phone 24 hours a day to answer questions or help with crises.

The team provides a broad variety of services, including:

Individualized Pain Management programs concentrate on making the patient comfortable. By controlling the patient’s pain and other symptoms, it becomes possible for them to remain at home for much or all of the illness, with family members or others providing the necessary care.

The Bereavement Program at Deaconess Hospice Care provides counseling and support to serve the needs of the families of patients with terminal illnesses during their time of loss.

Bereavement is defined as the period of time during which people emotionally experience, respond and adjust to the death of a loved one. Just as each person is a unique individual, each has his or her own needs and timetable. Our Hospice Bereavement Program is designed to help meet these needs after the loss of a loved one.

These services give individuals an accepting, trusting, and caring environment through which they will:

•  be able to fully experience grief
•  understand their own response to loss
•  begin their readjustment to a life without their loved one

Individuals may develop their own approach to coping with change, using individual services as frequently or as little as desired. Individual contacts are made by a Bereavement Coordinator or a trained volunteer through personal visits, telephone visitation or written correspondence, and individual follow-up with children is available when applicable.

Support Groups hosted by Hospice are confidential monthly support group meetings (including a special support group for men), giving family members an opportunity to:

• gain an understanding of the grief process
• get in touch with one’s own grief reaction
• discover new options in coping with loss
• communicate with individuals with similar experience
• experience new social opportunities and support systems
• explore other resources, if needed