What does a Hospice Chaplain do?

When a doctor recognizes that treatment should evolve into comfort and caring for a patient’s end of life, they will recommend hospice care. Your doctor and other caregivers are important members of your hospice care team. Recommending hospice care is not easy for anyone, but it’s done with the utmost respect and love for the patient and their family.

Hospice is about treating the mind, body, and soul. At Aleca, we recognize that each individual’s needs are different, so we provide a comprehensive and compassionate range of hospice services.

What does a hospice chaplain do?

During the end-of-life process, a hospice chaplain honors and nurtures a patient’s spiritual needs. They are an important part of a hospice care team. Though their services are spiritual, they are a medical professional trained to work with patients in hospice care.

When a patient moves into hospice care, they often turn to their spirituality for comfort and guidance. Depending on a patient’s wishes, a hospice chaplain will set the tone for a healthy spiritual outlook. Often times, patients will discover daily rituals that bring them peace through the assistance of a hospice chaplain.

How does a hospice chaplain assist family members?

Many emotions can overcome families with a loved one in hospice care, including guilt, stress, fear, and sadness. When a hospice chaplain comes on board, they can help alleviate some of the family’s worry through spiritual assistance. When working with a hospice chaplain, families get to know the importance of spirituality during trying times.

The work of a hospice chaplain can continue after a loved one has passed. As family members move into mourning and funeral planning, they can walk spiritually with a hospice chaplain as they work through new emotions.

When should you start hospice care?

It’s necessary to start hospice care for many reasons, but most often upon the recommendation of your doctor or after a terminal diagnosis. Receiving a serious or terminal diagnosis may indicate that hospice care may be needed in the future. It’s important to know that hospice care is not synonymous with dying. With a terminal diagnosis, death may not occur for months or even years. Hospice care is much more beneficial when started sooner rather than later.

At Aleca, we believe terminally ill patients and their families should have a positive quality of life during hospice care. That’s why we provide quality care when it matters most. Hospice care is tailored to the patient’s needs and typically assists with pain management and emotional support.

To ensure our patients receive a compassionate continuum of care, Aleca Hospice is available throughout Maricopa County. For more information, please call 480-264-4568 or click here.

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