Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/101200
ones going to be OK after I���m gone?��� These are the intimate questions our patients and families feel empowered to ask our staff. You can understand the ongoing pressure this creates. I spoke with a nurse the other day who had just personally experienced death No. 500 since working with our hospice. Our staff has told us that the intensity of care, the pressures on caregivers and the expectations of our service levels have all dramatically increased in recent years. Along with these increased demands in their work, caregivers are also facing more demanding and urgent challenges in their personal lives. So, when you ask how patient empowerment has changed the practice of hospice, it also means we need to create a work environment that is more supportive of our staff. While our expectations of quality for patient care need to evolve and improve, we also must continue to strive to be a kinder, healthier workplace. The quality of our care depends on the health and well-being of our staff. We should work to improve our processes and minimize bureaucracy wherever possible. Q What lessons can other models learn from the hospice model of care? A: The importance of team care. Hospice is composed of an interdisciplinary team that works with the patient, family and primary physician. The core of the team includes the hospice physician, nurse, hospice aide, social worker, chaplain and volunteer. In addition, team members include the manager or team leader, a pharmacist and others as appropriate. The team has no hierarchy and works together to develop a ���shared reality��� of all the circumstances affecting the patient���s health. This, in turn, guides them toward development of a richer understanding and approach in providing the ongoing care of the patient. We have found great value in focusing on the whole person ��� physically, psychosocially and spiritually. And, of course, after determining the current plan, the team becomes responsible for implementing, evaluating and changing it in a real-time environment, day by day, night by night, minute by minute. For more information, contact Jerry Kerschen at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice (313 S. Market, Wichita, KS 67202) or visit www.hynesmemorial. org. Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice is a nonprofit hospice that has served South Central and Southeast Kansas for 30 years. ��� mdnews.com ��� md news Greater Kansas | 11