Medi Hospice Fredericksburg publishes fifth issue of their community newsletter!!

                  

All hospices have Medical Social Workers. They are an integral part of the hospice care team.

Hospice social workers provide comprehensive medical and psycho-social services to individuals and caregivers affected by serious and life-limiting illnesses. Professional social workers fulfill an essential role in these programs, as evidenced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirement that hospices employ professional social workers to address the psycho-social needs of their patients and caregivers and the requirement by the Joint Commission that program teams include social workers.  The social work profession has developed a well-established body of knowledge that informs social work practice in hospice and palliative care as well as a set of complex skills that are required of social workers in this field of practice. 

 

Social work in hospice and palliative care can be defined as the discipline that provides a professional continuum of services that address the psycho-social needs of patients and families affected by serious and life-limiting illness in order to maintain, or improve, their optimal quality of life. Social work activities are focused on the bio-psycho-social components of health and mental health from a strengths-based perspective, and intervention is based on an evolving plan of care that is developed in the context of, and contributes to the interdisciplinary team’s comprehensive plan of care. 

In addition to providing direct services to patients and their families, social workers provide leadership in their organizations through community education and the development of resources, services, and programs to meet patient and caregiver needs. Social workers also advocate for policies that promote equal access to care for all populations and ensure high quality and state of the art social work services in all communities. In carrying out their roles and functions in this specialized arena, social workers adhere to the NASW Code of Ethics, meet NASW Standards for Social Work Practice in Palliative and End of Life Care and comply with NASW Standards for Cultural Competence. 

From: www.naswdc.org NHPCO

Medi Hospice is pleased to present one of our highly regarded Medical Social Workers, Jennifer Stanger, MSW. She originally joined our organization in 2007 as a hospice volunteer. She returned as a medical social worker in 2012.

Through her experience as a volunteer Jennifer fostered an interest in becoming professionally involved in hospice work. She went to Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated in 2012 with her Masters in Social Work. She also received a post baccalaureate Certificate in Aging Studies. During her clinical internships with Medi Hospice Richmond she decided that this field of caring for the terminally ill was where she wanted to serve.

 “Working in hospice has given me a deep sense of gratitude for every

person in my life, every day and every

minute they are with me. It has

profoundly changed how I live my life”

 Jennifer Stanger, MSW

Previous experience includes working with Autistic Spectrum Disorder children at the Faison School of Autism in Richmond and owning her own business for five years. She graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from University of Richmond.

Jennifer is also our Medi Hospice Bereavement Coordinator. She maintains contact with the bereaved loved ones of deceased patients for a period of 13 months. Bereavement services offered include personal counseling, phone call support, written correspondence and group support.

• Call Medi Home Hospice if you are considering hospice care for yourself or a loved one.
•  Hospice care is a choice and so is whom you choose to provide your care!

 

 

 125 Olde Greenwich Dr. Suite 150

 Fredericksburg, VA 22408

Office: (540) 361-7696 Fax: (540) 361-1403

 Medi Hospice needs volunteers!

Volunteering in hospice is a choice that creates rewards for patients and families. The ultimate surprise is the growth a volunteer develops from learning more about themselves with every visit to their patient. You learn to communicate in ways that increase your own appreciation of life. Your views of daily situations take on a holistic perspective. Nothing will ever be the same in your personal or professional life if you are correctly trained as a hospice volunteer.

 

1. Must be 18 or over to volunteer.
2. Weekend and evening hours are available.
3. Maximum requirement is two to four hour per week.
4. Locations will vary.
5. Personal transportation required.

  So would you consider joining others on their last journey? 

We are actively growing our hospice volunteer program and we would like you to know that if you have a desire to become involving in making a difference in the lives of the dying we will give you that opportunity! Medi Hospice is located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. We have a Volunteer Coordinator who will meet and discuss with you our volunteer opportunities. Should you desire to join our team call during normal business hours and ask for the Volunteer Coordinator.

Call 540-361-7696 and ask for the Volunteer Coordinator!

Medi Hospice Fredericksburg publishes fourth issue of their community newsletter!!

                  

All hospices have RN Case Managers. They are an integral part of the hospice care team.

A hospice case manager nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who is responsible for overseeing the care of hospice patients. A hospice case manager nurse must be comfortable working independently. She is the eyes and ears for the hospice physician and likewise must posses expert assessment skills.

• Hospice case manager nurses have been specially trained in evaluating and caring for the terminally ill patient and their family or caregivers. Therefore, they are expected to be able to efficiently recognize and evaluate symptoms. They work closely with the hospice physician to treat distressing symptoms and improve patient comfort.

• One of the goals for the hospice case manager nurse is to provide continuity of care  and to build a trusting relationship with the patient. However, other RN’s and LPN’s are also utilized to offer a broad level of sustaining support. 

• The case manager nurse educates families and/or caregivers on recognizing symptoms and providing safe and competent care for the patient. They offer emotional and practical support for both the patient and their family/caregivers.

• The case manager nurse must have excellent communication and time management skills and be comfortable around dying patients. They are patient, compassionate and respect the unique differences of their patients.

• The hospice case manager nurse works as a part of the hospice interdisciplinary care team. They supervise the care provided by home health aides (HHA) and licensed practical nurses (LPN's). They work closely with the hospice social worker, chaplain, and volunteers to coordinate physical, emotional, and spiritual care of the patient and family.

Hospice nurses have a unique opportunity to share in a patient’s last moments.

Medi Hospice is pleased to present one of our highly esteemed 

RN Case Managers, Shaun Farmer, RN. 

She joined our organization in December 2012.

Mrs. Farmer was born and raised in New Orleans LA. She spent four years in the United States Marine Corps where she met her husband of 20 years. When she retired from the USMC she studied and became a CNA for a few years. Deciding that a future in nursing was her career goal she studied and trained to become an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse). She was an LPN for 11 years and mostly worked in nursing homes or hospitals, as well as a couple of years in hospice. The couple moved around a lot due to her husband’s USMC career.  Upon his retirement they ended up in King George, VA where they have decided they will create their

permanent home.

After settling in our community, Mrs. Farmer went back to nursing school to pursue her Registered Nurse Certification. Her decision to pursue nursing in hospice sprung out of her 11 years experience as a LPN. After observing and caring for the many hospice patients over those years she felt a sense of great compassion and love for people who were in their last journey of life. She explained that her heart went out to these precious souls and she determined that she wanted to be a part of ensuring that no one ever died alone.

“If we listen and observe carefully, our patients will teach

 us valuable lessons that we might need to learn in preparing

 for the end of our own life's journey.”

Mrs. Shaun Farmer, RN

She attended the Moore Norman Technology Center in Norman Oklahoma to studied for certification as a CNA and LPN. In Fredericksburg , VA she studied with the class of 2012 at Career Training Solutions.

125 Olde Greenwich Dr. Suite 150

 Fredericksburg, VA 22408

Office: (540) 361-7696 Fax: (540) 361-1403

Medi Hospice needs volunteers!

Volunteering in hospice is a choice that creates rewards for patients and families. The ultimate surprise is the growth a volunteer develops from learning more about themselves with every visit to their patient. You learn to communicate in ways that increase your own appreciation of life. Your views of daily situations take on a holistic perspective. Nothing will ever be the same in your personal or professional life if you are correctly trained as a hospice volunteer.

1. Must be 18 or over to volunteer.
2. Weekend and evening hours are available.
3. Maximum requirement is two to four hour per week.
4. Locations will vary.
5. Personal transportation required.

    So would you consider joining others on their last journey? 

We are actively growing our hospice volunteer program and we would like you to know that if you have a desire to become involving in making a difference in the lives of the dying we will give you that opportunity! Medi Hospice is located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. We have a Volunteer Coordinator who will meet and discuss with you our volunteer opportunities. Should you desire to join our team call during normal business hours and ask for the Volunteer Coordinator.

Call 540-361-7696 and ask for the Volunteer Coordinator!

Medi Hospice Fredericksburg publishes third issue of their community newsletter!!

Many hospices have a Director of

Professional Services. They are a very

important part of the hospice 

management team.

The Director of Professional Services (DOPS) establishes a professional and caring relationship with the agency clinical staff, support staff, physicians, discharge planners, social workers, chaplains, facilities and other health care professionals by providing on-going direction, clinical oversight and education regarding hospice services and care.

•  The DOPS is responsible for providing leadership and direction in the promotion and maintenance of standards for delivery of high quality patient care by all members of the hospice team.

• The DOPS ensures that their hospice is in compliance with all local, state and federal laws regarding clinical record keeping as well as licensure and certification of agency personnel.

• The DOPS oversees the maintenance of patient clinical records, statistics, reports and records for the purpose of evaluation and reporting of agency activities.

• Evaluation of the agency performance is extremely critical as it reflects the quality and safe delivery of hospice services. The DOPS assists with the evaluation of the agency performance through performance improvement programs, productivity, annual and quarterly reviews.

• The primary goal of hospice is to ensure that each patient receives quality-based, appropriate, eligible service through monitoring staff assignment, clinical review and coordination of care by all disciplines.

The Director of Professional Services is a

registered professional nurse with the

background and experience in hospice to

ensure that the highest level of quality care is offered.

Medi Hospice is please to announce that Ms. Shelley Freitag, RN, BSN, has joined the  organization as Director of Professional Services for our Fredericksburg hospice division. Ms. Freitag has more than 20 years of clinical, educational and managerial experience in the hospital, home health care and hospice setting. In her new role Ms. Freitag will be responsible  for the management, direction and performance of the hospice program in Fredericksburg.

Prior to joining Medi Hospice she served as the Director of Professional Services for a Northern Virginia Hospice, where she managed several departments that covered a multi-county area and served a patient census of more than 130. In addition Ms. Freitag previously worked at Catholic Health Care West Chandler Regional Hospital, Chandler Arizona, where she was a hospital case manager in both ICU and ER. Prior to moving to Arizona Ms. Freitag worked for William Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital and Medical Center, as well as home healthcare organizations in Madison, Wisconsin.

Ms. Freitag graduated December 1972 from United States Army, Preventive Medicine Procedures, as the first woman to ever complete this training. In May 1984 she graduated with a BSN from University of Wisconsin, Madison, School of Nursing with distinction in the upper 10% of her class.

“Everyone deserves to have a

comfortable and peaceful passing”

Ms. Shelley Freitag

She returned to her roots in home health and hospice in 2008. She is the mother of five children and two grandchildren. She lives on a horse farm in North Stafford, Virginia with her husband and daughter. Currently, she is training one of her horses to become a therapy horse.

Hospice is a philosophy of caring for patients whose medical conditions are not responding to treatment or for those patients who choose not to seek aggressive medical care at the end stage of life. It is a program for patients who are considered terminal and are expected to live six months or less if the disease follows its natural course, although many patients outlive this time frame. The hospice philosophy focuses on comfort care not curative care. The goal of hospice care is for the patient to remain as comfortable and pain-free as possible in their own home or the home of a loved one through the end of life. Hospice care can also be provided in a long-term care facility or an assisted living facility.

—Call Medi Home Hospice if you are considering hospice care for yourself or a loved one.

—Hospice care is a choice and so is whom you choose to provide your care!

 

 

125 Olde Greenwich Dr. Suite 150

 Fredericksburg, VA 22408

Office: (540) 361-7696 Fax: (540) 361-1403

 Medi Hospice needs volunteers!

Volunteering in hospice is a choice that creates rewards for patients and families. The ultimate surprise is the growth a volunteer develops from learning more about themselves with every visit to their patient. You learn to communicate in ways that increase your own appreciation of life. Your views of daily situations take on a holistic perspective. Nothing will ever be the same in your personal or professional life if you are correctly trained as a hospice volunteer.

1. Must be 18 or over to volunteer.
2. Weekend and evening hours are available.
3. Maximum requirement is two to four hour per week.
4. Locations will vary.
5. Personal transportation required.

    So would you consider joining others on their last journey? 

We are actively growing our hospice volunteer program and we would like you to know that if you have a desire to become involving in making a difference in the lives of the dying we will give you that opportunity! Medi Hospice is located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. We have a Volunteer Coordinator who will meet and discuss with you our volunteer opportunities. Should you desire to join our team call during normal business hours and ask for the Volunteer Coordinator.

                                     

Call 540-361-7696 and ask for the Volunteer Coordinator!