Chicagoland Hospice Nursing Aide
Hospice aides can provide intermittent care under the direction of a registered nurse. Service include assistance with the activities of daily living such as bathing, hair and mouth care, light house-keeping in the patient area and linen changes. Hospice aide services are based on need and outlined in the plan of care. The hospice aide is not a sitter to stay around the clock. Your nurse can discuss such needs with you.
All services will be explained and offered as appropriate. Frequency will be adjusted by the team based on patient needs. If you have a question about when or why any service provider is scheduled, please ask the nurse or call the office.
Receiving compassionate, high-quality treatment at the end of life, whether at home or in a facility, is a basic human right and part of human dignity that we all deserve. Every year, hospice physicians, nurses, chaplains, and volunteers provide treatment to 1.65 million Americans and their families, and the number is growing. In the greater Chicago area and suburbs, Oasis Hospice and Palliative Care offers compassionate and thoughtful hospice care in several counties. We treat our patients’ and families’ religion, integrity, freedom, and individuality with the utmost respect, and we strive to make their final days as comfortable and meaningful as possible.
Our Hospice and Health Aides
Working in the hospice area can be difficult, but the benefits far outweigh the difficulties. Hakeem Bello, of Oasis Hospice of Chicagoland, says it takes a rare, solid, and caring person to be able to care for someone in their final months, weeks, and days of life.
Mr. Bello said, “Making patients happy and forming friendships with them is definitely my favorite part of the work.”
Here’s a peak into a typical hospice aide’s day. It starts with her memory care patients. A hospice aide helps to bathe and dress them, feed them, change their bedding, and prepare them for the day ahead. The caregiver must also inform the nurses of the patient status for the day. Typically an aide spends about 45 minutes to an hour with each patient every day on average.
The work of an aide comes from the bottom of one’s heart and some days are simple, while others are challenging.
A hospice aide’s responsibilities for home include
- communicating and monitoring medical changes
- Wound treatment
- Taking a bath and dressing
- Hair, skin, dental, and nail care are all examples of personal care.
- Assisting in toileting and incontinence management
- Preparation of light meals and light housekeeping
- responsibilities for maintaining a safe and comfortable atmosphere
- Spending time with patients and connecting with family members
