Each person and his / her family are provided services by a group of professionals called the hospice team. This team consists of:

Physicians - The patient's primary physician and the hospice medical director work together to plan the patient's medical care. They are always in close touch with the other members of the hospice team.

Nurses - Hospice nurses specialize in palliative care, which is a special kind of care that keeps pain to a minimum and focuses on comfort. The hospice nurse makes regular visits to monitor the patient's condition and provides the patient and family with information and education about the illness. Hospice nurses are available for emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Family Counselor - The family counselor helps the family deal with financial, insurance and legal issues, and helps them cope with the personal and social challenges of illness, disability and the dying process. Following the patient's death, family counselors work with family members, providing support so that they can move forward with their lives. Bereavement support is provided through one-on-one counseling and also through organized support groups. Often, these are open to other members of the community who may also be grieving, whether or not the grief involved a hospice-supported death.

Spiritual Care Coordinator -Hospice spiritual caregivers are available to assist in meeting the unique spiritual or religious needs of each individual during this time of transition. Spiritual caregivers offer empathetic listening, companionship, and compassionate presence as patients and loved ones explore their beliefs and values and express their hopes and dreams, joys and fears. If desired, the spiritual care coordinator can connect or reconnect the patient and loved ones with their own pastor, priest, rabbi, or other spiritual caregiver and work with them to meet the needs of the patient and loved ones.

Therapists - Physical, occupational, massage, music and speech therapists are available through hospice to help a patient maintain comfort or quality of life.

Volunteers - Hospice volunteers are members of the community who have special interest and training in helping people in the final phase of life. Volunteers can provide companionship for the patient and relief for the caregiver.