Hospice is end of life care. It is a type of care that we all may need someday – if not for ourselves, for a loved one. Death is not an option, but we have choices about the services that are available at end of life.

Were you aware that you can in fact, choose your hospice service provider. Many people think that they must select the hospice suggested by their doctor or hospital. If you or a loved one is referred to hospice services please ask your primary physician to provide the information that you need to make an informed decision.

The United States is a land where a great deal of value is placed on ‘choice’. We want to choose our doctors and our hospitals. We want to choose which lab to have our tests in. It makes sense that we would have the opportunity to choose which hospice journeys with us toward our end of life.

Medi Hospice has been in operation for 16 years and is well established in the Northern Virginia & Fredericksburg region. Our hospice services provide a specialized program of care for patients and their families who are facing life-limiting illnesses. The care you receive is coordinated by a team of experienced and compassionate hospice professionals. Our interdisciplinary hospice team consists of:

§ Patients' Personal Physicians

§ Hospice Medical Director

§ Registered Nurses

§ Home Health Aides

§ Social Workers

§ Chaplains

§ Bereavement Specialists

§ Trained Volunteers

Remember, you are entitled to choose Medi Hospice even if your doctor does not ‘suggest’ us. However, a doctor’s order is required before services can be started. A simple phone call to our office and we will contact your physician on your behalf to begin the process of admitting you OR YOUR LOVED ONE to Medi Hospice.

If a doctor recommends hospice for you or a loved one, ask about

Medi Hospice.

Volunteers are an integral part of the interdisciplinary team approach to hospice care.

They help our patients and families in a multitude of ways, including companionship, caregiver respite, light cooking and cleaning, patient support, and one on one life review. In addition, volunteers read or sing to patients. They sit at the bedside and quietly offer ‘personal presence’. During the volunteer’s visit, he or she is a friendly visitor with no particular agenda but to listen, care and support.

Some of the things a Medi Hospice volunteer might assist with include:

· Reading from a favorite book or the Bible.

· Watch over the patient while the primary caretaker takes a break or runs errands.

· Listen to stories and memories that are meaningful to the patient.

· Support for an overwhelmed caretaker by listening without judgment.

· Using a special talent such as music to bring joy to the heart of the patient and their families.

· Visit patients with certified animals to offer pet therapy.

Hospice volunteers are very unique individuals who have a deep sense of compassion for those who are terminally ill. They give selflessly to our patients. They hold a hand that is in need of gentle touch. They read a book that tired eyes cannot see. They sit at the bedside bringing a smile and a quiet presence to one who needs both. When there is soup to heat the volunteer prepares; when there is fresh air to breath the volunteer escorts the patient to the window or porch; when the day calls for a joke or poem the hospice volunteer complies.

They are flexible, punctual, reliable and intuitive.They give from their heart, willingly, openly, without restraint.

Medi Hospice VOLUNTEERS ARE WONDERFUL, GIVING PEOPLE!

WE APPRECIATE THEIR GRACIOUSNESS AND LOVE!!

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.