Hospice care is often viewed as a sign that death will come immediately.
“Using hospice doesn’t mean the patient is going to die the next day. That’s why we offer our services for the terminally ill who have been given six months or less to live,” said Hospice Administrator Kim Willis, M.SC.A. “Hospice should be seen as a positive step in the patient’s care, not as the grim reaper. Hospice provides a comfortable quality of life in the patient’s own home surrounded by loved ones.”
Salem Hospice Care staff is made up of skilled nurses, bereavement counselors, social workers, volunteers, aides, and Medical Director James Hubbs, DO.
“Hospice is very rewarding,” said Dr. Hubbs. “What our staff provides helps the patients and families through a tough time. We’re thankful for the trust the families put in us.”
Hospice provides all the care a patient needs to be comfortable at home as opposed to a hospital.
“We are with the patient twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week,” Willis said. “And after the patient passes, we continue bereavement care for the family for thirteen months.”
Salem Hospice Care Nurse Case Manager Natalie Eller, RN, said she believes hospice care is her calling.
“It’s so rewarding for me,” she said. “Being there for the patient and their family means everything to me.”
Willis said she receives three to four calls a week complimenting the staff.
“The best form of compliment is word of mouth,” she said. “When families refer us to a friend or family member, that means a lot.
“Hospice is a good thing. We need to change how people perceive hospice. We are there to make the patient’s final days, weeks or months comfortable for them and comforting for the family.”
For more information about Salem Home Health and Hospice, call 856-678-8500.