Wuesthoff Hospice & Palliative Care

Wuesthoff Hospice & Palliative Care is an organization of caring professionals and trained volunteers who are dedicated to providing comprehensive, compassionate end-of-life care to patients with life-limiting illnesses while also offering support to their families.

Each Hospice patient and family is assigned an interdisciplinary care team that works under the direction of the Hospice Medical Director and in collaboration with the patient's physician to give the best possible care. The patient and family are also considered members of the team and are involved in making decisions regarding their care.

Medical Director

The Hospice Medical Director is a physician who gives direction to the patient's team and consults with the patient's attending physician regarding the patient's care as needed.

Hospice Nurse

The Hospice Nurse works with the physician to ensure that the patient is kept as comfortable as possible. Pain control and symptom management are the nurse's primary concerns. The Hospice nurse makes scheduled visits and arranges for prescriptions and medical equipment as needed. The nurse also teaches the family how to manage the daily care of the patient. A Hospice nurse is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week for emergency situations.

Home Health Aide

The Home Health Aide assists the patient with personal care such as bathing and other personal hygiene needs when the patient is no longer able to do these things alone.

Social Services Specialist

The Social Services Specialist offers emotional support for the patient and family, encouraging open communication about the needs and concerns of the patient and family. The Social Services Specialist is an excellent link to community resources and offers expert guidance in the completion of advance care planning.

Hospice Chaplain

The Hospice Chaplain visits to offer spiritual support and prayer on behalf of the patient. The Chaplain will also contact the patient's place of worship, if desired, and is available to perform sacraments and to conduct funerals or memorial services.

Hospice Volunteers

Volunteers are available to help in many ways. They may stay with the patient while the family caregiver rests or goes shopping, take the patient to a medical appointment, pick up and deliver medication from a pharmacy, or may regularly visit and be a friend to the patient. Some of our volunteers with pets complete training to become certified in pet therapy so they can visit patients and families with their furry companions.

Youth Specialist

When faced with death, children and teens perceive the situation differently than adults. Our Youth Specialist will visit Hospice families with children and teens to give them special support and help them cope with the situation.

Grief Support Specialist

The Grief Support Specialist steps in after the death to help the family work through the many feelings associated with the loss of a loved one. They also conduct support groups to help survivors cope with their loss and grieve in a healing, positive way.