Your Hospice Care Team Matters

Our Lady of Peace goes beyond Medicare requirements

Families are often referred to Our Lady of Peace because hospice failed them in other places, as their loved one’s care escalated. They are tired and stressed. When we open the door to families, an entire staff of caring people run out to greet them with open arms and a sincere welcome to our hospice home. And when families leave at night, they rest easy, free of worry, filled with peace.

Medicare requirements dictate the care that patients receive in hospice, from medical to spiritual, bereavement, and social work. Coverage also provides for ancillary services such as massage, aromatherapy, and music therapy. However, the collaborative, interdisciplinary team at Our Lady of Peace goes beyond what is required by Medicare and other insurance coverage to what is needed and valued by patients and their families. In our hospice residence, everyone plays a vital role in a patient’s care. From the CEO, Director of Medicine, nurses, to the team members who keep our home clean, we all respect, interact and provide support and encouragement to patients.

“I once put clean sheets on a patient’s bed and took them to be bathed. When we returned from the bath, the sheets had been changed again,” said Matthew Stafford, RN, Our Lady of Peace Director of Nursing. “Someone came in and changed them because the sheets I put on the bed didn’t match the patient’s pajamas. You can’t train people for this level of care, so we seek it within the hiring process, asking people to step away from how they cared for people in other places, to fully embrace who we are.”

Matthew Stafford acknowledges that every member of the team is essential because of their individual skills. He says, “Everyone looks at patients through a different lens, bringing multiple perspectives to our care. When we all work together and play to our strengths, we know we’re providing the best care.”

Stafford highlights five stand-out attributes of Our Lady of Peace:

• Weekly patient care plan meetings with the medical team and family members

Most hospice organizations hold care plan meetings every 14 days.

• Physician on staff Monday-Friday, interacting with staff, allowing ample time to share concerns, get input, and direction.
• Weekly physician visits, with family members present, twice weekly, when needed.

In other facilities, physicians typically visit every 14 days.

• Pharmacist on staff

A lot of people don’t realize that at the end of life, the medications you have taken forever can no longer be tolerated by your body. OLP believes a pharmacist who knows you and your medications is a critical member of your care team.

• Everyone is respected for their expertise, whatever their rank. We have a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) on staff with exemplary wound care skills, so our physician and nurses consult with him. At OLP, we believe that if you aren’t willing to set your ego aside and seek input from all colleagues, you miss out, and patients miss out.

At OLP, Humility starts at the top. Our CEO eats his lunch in the nursing office because everyone is important, and together, we’re at our best.

People leave OLP after the passing of their loved one, saying, “I’m so glad they were here.”

Being a faith-based organization is a big part of who we are. Catholics often understand what the Catholic doctrine says about life, and people of all faiths come to us because they know the value of Catholic health care. “Our culture is unique,” says Matthew Stafford. We are steeped in values, respect people, and family values, and we put our hearts into everything we do.