If you look up the word "hospice" in Webster's Dictionary, you find the following definitions: "1) a place of shelter for travelers, esp. such a shelter maintained by monks 2) a home for the sick and poor." Today, we understand hospice to mean a way of caring for the terminally ill adults and children. Hospice is a not-for-profit, non-sectarian, community-based agency which began in 1977. Hospice workers include teams of nurses, social workers, chaplains, home health care aids, medical directors and volunteers. Their goal to provide care for the individual with dignity and comfort physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Hospice provides services to adults and children with life-threatening illnesses for whom medical cure is no longer possible or desired. Hospice provides services to family members of terminally ill patients. Hospice provides services to individuals and families who have experienced the death of a loved one and desire help in returning to "regular" living. Hospice provides services to parents and other family members help children deal with illness or death in the family.

Hospice develops an individualized plan of care for each patient by providing or arranging various services for the patients. The plan might include: Hospice nurse visits; training for caregivers; coordination of services with the patient's physician and other resources; individual, group or family counseling; assistance with legal or financial matters; spiritual counseling by local or Hospice clergy; medical equipment, supplies and medications; transportation; counseling support for family for one year following a patient's death; day to day assistance. Hospice has staff on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Hospice offers several different but related programs. One is Hospice Children's Support Program. It is specifically for either terminally ill children or those who have experienced the death of a child. Children need special consideration since they don't always have the past life experiences for guidance in dealing with death. Another is Hospice Bridges Program which is helps friends and family after the death of an individual whether the death is through illness, suicide, accidental death or violent crime. These individuals have not been part of the Hospice program prior to the death. A third program is the Hospice Nursing Home Program. In this program Hospice nurses work the regular nursing home staff coordinating services using their expertise in the care of terminally ill patients. The Hospice nurses also continue to work with family after the death of the patient. A fourth program is the Hospice Caregivers Program which provides care for terminally ill persons who have no one to care of them. This program allows the patient to remain in his or her home as long as possible.

After seeing all the services Hospice provides, a logical question is who pays for all these services? Hospice is paid by Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance or it is covered by charitable donations when the individual has no other resources available. Hospice delivers care without regard to age, race, faith, diagnosis, or ability to pay.

Although Hospice has a staff of paid employees, it relies on a large volunteer system as well. Hospice volunteers can choose the kind of work they want to do. Hospice volunteers do office work, write letters, do yard work, take pictures, make speeches about Hospice, sell in the thrift shop, there's much opportunity. Hours are flexible, whatever time you have available. Training classes are given for volunteers. There volunteers learn and develop communication and listening skills, Hospice philosophy, attitudes toward death, and family dynamics. Call the local Hospice office to discuss any of these programs or if you want to volunteer.