Compassionate end-of-life supportive care assistance for patients and their families.

Hospice care is a full team approach including physicians, nurses, medical social workers, counselors, family and volunteers; all focused on providing a special kind sensitivity and support for people in the final phase of a terminal illness.   While hospice doctors and nurses attend to the critical medical concerns of hospice patients,  there are many other needs patients and family need at this important time.  O’Connell specially trains aides to provide non-medical physical care for hospice patients and become a caring friend in a patient’s in-home hospice journey.

Kind, Caring, Comforting

We believe hospice care staff should – most of all – be kind and caring. Aides need to communicate well, be good listeners, and want to support families during the last stage of an advanced illness.

Our hospice support aides are selected for possessing those attributes and are specially trained in the unique issues surrounding death and dying. They also can receive ongoing support to help with the emotional demands of a difficult job.

O’Connell Hospice support aides are taught to recognize and communicate changes in health status and will also keep records of symptoms and other problems.  Hospice support aides assist with personal care such as bathing, dressing and eating. They reposition patients and assist with transfers,  will do light housekeeping, laundry, and medication reminders to reduce the load on family caregivers. We also assist primary caregivers and family by providing regular respite periods

And perhaps most important of all, our aides look to build a warm, comforting relationship with the patient while providing encouraging and empathetic companionship and emotional support to all involved at this difficult time.

If you are facing hospice care of a loved one, our hospice support aides can play a significant role in their ongoing care. Services are provided by the hour or on a full 24/7 schedule