Hospice Services of Southwest General offers a variety of services to our patients and families.  These services include:

 

Art Therapy
Art therapy is a form of expression that uses creative tools such as paint, clay or crayons.  This form of therapy is used primarily with children dealing with a loss or the patient who is unable to speak.  Art therapy allows for feelings to be expressed through a visual tool, encourages insight and often relieves repressed feelings.

 

Bereavement Services
We care about how you are coping.  Bereavement support is available throughout the hospice experience and beyond.  Many times, grief begins with the diagnosis.  While your journey is most likely filled with hard work, loneliness and sadness, please know that there is someone at Hospice Services who would like to hear your story and offer you support.  Support services are available to you free of charge.  This support is offered as:
• Individual support    
• "Out of the Valley" support group  
• Specialized support groups
• “Coping with the Holidays” programs 
• "Healthy Grief" - an eight-week series support group
• Semi-annual "Service of Remembering"
• Quarterly newsletter

 

Schedule of classes and support groups

 

 

Caregiver Support
Hospice care is focused on the terminally ill person and their caregivers.  As a result, Hospice Services has a variety of ways of helping the caregivers.  From access to any of our staff and leadership, to our library, and our bereavement and caregiver support groups, hospice is committed to attending to the needs of our patient’s caregiver.  The Caregiver Support Groups meets at Southwest General's main campus, in the DeWitt Conference Room, 7-9 p.m., on the third Tuesday of every month.

 

A Hospice aide is a specially trained person who the personal care needs of the patient, including, but not limited to, bathing, shampooing and shaving the patient, and changing the bed linens.  These services are dependent upon the patient and family needs.

 

Medical Care
A physician directs the care provided by Hospice Services.  The physician may be the patient’s primary physician or the Hospice Services medical director.

 

Music Therapy
Music is the voice of the soul.  Music quiets the restless heart, helps people to remember the days of long ago and empowers a stronger connection between patient and family.  Hospice Services is thankful to be able to offer the gift of music therapy during this time of transition and challenge for so many patients and families in need.

 

Nursing Care
A registered nurse monitors medical needs, concerns and fears, and manages the plan of care for the patient, communicating regularly with the doctor and the family. A nurse is available 24 hours a day to answer any emergency questions or concerns for both the patient and family.   There is a registered nurse in the residential center, 24 hours each day.  Many of the nurses of Hospice Services of Southwest General are certified in hospice and palliative care.

 

Nurtrition and Hydration
A clinical dietitian is available to assess any special concerns of patients in both the residential center and outpatient program as requested by the RN case manager or by a family member. The dietitian reviews the patient’s diet with nursing staff, in an effort to honor their food requests. End-of-life nutrition and hydration expectations and needs are unique to each hospice patient. These changing needs are monitored by the nurse and dietitian.  Menus for the patients in the residential center are planned and approved by the dietitian.

 

Pain and Symptom Management
Management of the patient’s symptoms is a vital concern of the hospice staff.  The RN managing the patient care will educate the family or caregiver on what to watch for as the illness progresses.  Education on proper administration of medicine also is provided.   If a family has questions about medicines, the RN is available to answer questions and provide additional education and support.  Patient comfort is the key to Hospice Services' care.

 

Palliative Care
Palliative care is a medical specialty focused on the expert care embracing treatment, pain and symptom management and the stresses of serious illness.  Services offered are meant to allow the patient to have control of the treatment plan while addressing issues of pain, symptom management, and other stresses connected to the illness/treatment process. The goal is to ease suffering and offer the best quality of life for patients and their families. 

 

Palliative care is coordinated with the patient’s primary care physician.  A nurse, certified in hospice and palliative care, case workers, social worker, chaplain, patients and families are all a part of the team.  Palliative Care Services works in partnership with your physician throughout the course of treatment.

Respite Care
No matter how much a caregiver or family member loves a patient, there are time when the caregiver needs to rest.  To assist with this need, Hospice Services provides respite care at The Thomas P. Perciak Family Residential Hospice or through volunteers.  A volunteer is often available to stay at the home with a patient if a family member needs to rest, run errands or simply needs a short time to cope.   Respite care can be arranged through the hospice nurse.  Respite care is available for home patients only and is limited to five days per month.

 

Social Work Service
The role of the social worker is to support the terminally ill person and their caregivers as they attempt to solve problems affecting quality of life, dignity, rights to self-determination and care.  They do this by assessing for psychosocial needs, providing information, counseling and advocacy.  The social worker also serves as a resource to the hospice team and the greater community by serving as an integral member of the hospice team.

Spiritual Care
The spiritual care coordinator is available to assist in meeting the needs of all Hospice Services patients and their family members.  Spiritual care acknowledges and respects the patient’s and family’s beliefs, culture and values related to life’s meaning, including suffering and loss and desire for services.  Spiritual care supports patients and their families in the exploration of questions related to the illness, one’s relationship with others, nature, God, self-image and hope.  Spiritual Care is a vital aspect in the holistic care concept of hospice.  Hospice acknowledges and values the uniqueness of each person and recognizes that by being human, one has spiritual needs in their life’s journey.

 

Volunteer Coordinator
The volunteer coordinator, with hospice staff, assesses the needs of the patients, families and caregivers for needed respite and supportive services. The coordinator then assigns volunteers to meet those specific needs.  The coordinator arranges the training needed to be a volunteer and supervises all volunteers.  The coordinator may be contacted at 440-816-5967.

 

Hospice Services of Southwest General
18659 Drake Road
Strongsville, Ohio  44136

440-816-5040
440-816-5038 (fax)

This site also is the location of The Thomas P. Perciak Family Residential Hospice.