Instructions
Care for the Hospice Resident
1. Acknowledge your feelings. Working with a hospice resident is mentally and physically exhausting. Speak with your manager or director if you are unable or unsure of cope with your emotions. Everyone who works in hospice started in an emotionally rocky place and is generally more than willing to help you work through your emotions. This is vital because you cannot truly care for your hospice resident until you care for yourself.
2. Speak to your hospice resident as though your resident can hear you, even if your resident is in a coma. Hearing is the last sense to leave the body, so always assume that your resident can hear you. Speak to your resident about light topics, such as the weather or activities taking place in the residence.
3. Answer your resident's questions honestly, even those about death. Answer only with facts. Do not interject your own personal opinions or religious beliefs, even if your resident says that it is OK. As a health care professional, it is of utmost importance to keep your personal opinions and religious beliefs private. It is acceptable to answer your resident's question with a question for your resident to contemplate.
4. Listen to your resident's concerns. Fix whatever concerns you can and acknowledge whatever concerns you can't. Acknowledge what your resident has to say, even if your resident asks a question to which you do not know the answer. It is OK to say that you do not know the answer to your resident's question.
5. Arrange for a social worker or chaplain to stop by the resident's room. The resident and the resident's family will be dealing with a flood of emotions. They may not ask for help due to being unsure of where to turn or ask.
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