Hospice Care
Hospice at DSSM is a philosophy of care. We employ a specially trained nursing staff to care for our hospice residents. Our goal is to enable our residents to continue an alert, pain-free life, while managing other symptoms so that their remaining days may be spent with dignity and quality, surrounded by their loved ones. Our Hospice Care is family-centered, involving the resident and the family in making decisions. Care is provided for the resident and family 24-hours a day, 7-days a week by an interdisciplinary health care team who work together to care for the resident. Each Hospice team member offers support, based on their special areas of expertise. Together, they give our residents complete, compassionate care.
Palliative Care
Palliative Care is not the same as Hospice Care. At DSSM, Palliative Care is provided from the time of admission and is given at the same time as restorative treatment. Our aim is to control pain and symptoms to help our residents be as comfortable as possible, while allowing them to enjoy and navigate this era of their lives with dignity.
We recognize that Palliative Care is not a one-size-fits-all approach since residents have a range of diseases and respond differently to treatment options. The benefit of Palliative Care at DSSM is that the customized treatment is designed to meet the needs of each individual person.
Palliative Care focuses on both residents and their families. Our residents’ comfort is our highest priority; followed closely by providing support for the family. Our team works together with residents and families on a treatment plan, making the most informed medical decisions in order to choose the proper treatments. We also ensure that our residents and their loved ones receive updated and reliable information.
Side effects are managed to ensure that the resident remains as free of pain and symptoms as possible, yet still attentive enough to enjoy the people around them. This allows our residents to make significant choices aimed at relieving symptoms while receiving social, emotional and spiritual support.
