Community Hospice is a locally-owned and managed hospice agency serving the Baldwin County area since 1996. We integrate and address the diverse, seen and unseen needs of patients and their families.
The emphasis is on comfort care (pain and symptom control), maintaining dignity, and increasing quality of life, rather than curative treatment. Hospice recognizes that every individual is different, therefore the hospice team creates an individualized plan of care to meet the specific needs and wishes of the patient and their family. Hospice staff members are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Hospice care can also be provided in other locations such as assisted living facilities, nursing homes, or other long-term care facility.
Our “Circle of Care” concept surrounds the patient with support, ensuring the highest possible quality of life. Community Hospice provides support to natural helpers, including family, friends, personal physicians and members of religious or social groups. The “Circle of Care” Teams are dedicated to helping the patient maintain his/her dignity, increasing their quality of life and providing comfort – not only for physical symptoms, but also for their emotional and spiritual needs.
Medical Director
- Co-certify the terminal prognosis with attending physician
- Lead the interdisciplinary team in development of care plan
- Provide consultation to other physicians regarding hospice care
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Attending Physician
- Assess patient needs, manage symptoms, prescribe treatment
- Direct and approve care plan
- Coordinate care with the interdisciplinary team
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Registered Nurse
- Assess patient and family needs
- Develop care plan to meet identified needs
- Coordinate team visits and ensure implementation of approved plan of care
- Coordinate care with attending physician, primary caregiver and hospice staff
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Social Worker
- Assess emotional, social, spiritual and financial needs of patient and family
- Develop plan of care to meet identified needs
- Provide direct counseling or refer patient and family to appropriate community agencies
- Provide bereavement support
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Home Health Aide
- Provide direct personal care to patient
- Provide comfort measures (report identified needs to RN case managers)
- Provide emotional support to patient and family
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Spiritual Care Coordinator
- Assess spiritual needs of patient and family
- Develop care plan to meet identified needs
- Assist with memorial preparations
- Provide consultation to community clergy
- Provide spiritual counseling
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Volunteer
- Provide companionship and support to patient and family
- Provide needed non-medical services and respite time for caregivers and family
- Provide emotional support to family and friends at time of death and during bereavement
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Bereavement
- Develop care plan to meet survivor needs for up to 13 months after patient’s death
- Develop memorial services
- Maintain verbal and written communication with family and friends
- Provide grief counseling and healing resources
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