We offer the following support for health care professionals in the local community:
Pre-Referral Counseling
It is never easy to initiate a conversation with a terminal patient about the end of his or her life. Yet, we encourage physicians to have these conversations earlier rather than later so patients and their loved ones can benefit from interdisciplinary care for more than just their very last days together. Early referrals to hospice lead to more support for the patient, the family, and the referring physician.
If you have a patient who might benefit from meeting with a NHH nurse, social worker, or spiritual counselor, please call us. We are available to meet with families and patients to provide literature on comfort care and to introduce the services of our hospice and how they might be of benefit to the family.
When to Consider Hospice
View a list of various relevant criteria when considering if hospice is a suitable option.
Professional Development Opportunities
NHH is committed to improving the continuum of care in our community. To bring quality care to patients and families facing terminal illnesses, we aim to be a local leader in promoting palliative care and helping others learn about end-of-life issues. The field of palliative care is changing rapidly, as are the needs in our community. We aim to be a resource for physicians, nurses, and others who currently are caring for a terminal patient or foresee a need for hospice in the future.
At NHH we offer our help through one-on-one consultations with healthcare providers, patients, and families. We also offer professional development workshops focused on the following topics:
- Hospice Care (our philosophy, services and referral process)
- Pain Management and Palliative Treatment
- Communicating with terminal patients, their families and caregivers
- Transitioning from “curegiving” to “caregiving”
- Care for non-cancer, terminal patients
- Grief and bereavement support
- Planning for End-of-Life
We welcome specific requests. To arrange a presentation, please give us a call at (808) 885-7547.
Counseling
Our Social Worker and Bereavement Coordinator are also available to help healthcare staff through grief and the bereavement process. The effects of a traumatic death and of cumulative deaths on those who work in the “front-lines” of care can be very real. Please call for one-on-one support or for a group session.
