In honor of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day on Oct. 11, INTEGRIS Health celebrates our compassionate caregivers, who dedicate their lives to helping those navigating the transition from curative treatment to comfort care.
In honor of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day on Oct. 11, INTEGRIS Health celebrates our compassionate caregivers, who dedicate their lives to helping those navigating the transition from curative treatment to comfort care.
What is Hospice and Palliative Care?
Palliative care is a service that provides an extra layer of support to help transform the experience of illness. The palliative care team includes physicians, APRNs, RNs, social workers and chaplains. This team assists patients and their families by providing symptom management, education, advanced-care planning and identification of the patient’s goals for their care. Palliative care is provided in addition to curative treatment, such as dialysis, chemotherapy and more, and it can be received in a hospital or a home setting.
When the patient is ready to transition from curative treatment to comfort care, hospice can be elected to ensure that the patient’s symptoms are appropriately managed. Hospice is a team-oriented approach that offers medical care, pain management and emotional support tailored to the patient’s – as well as their loved one’s – needs and wishes.
“The hospice house setting strives to provide a peaceful, calm and serene atmosphere at the end of life by recognizing the individual journey that each patient and family are on with respect and dignity,” says Shelly McKay, a nurse at the INTEGRIS Health Hospice House. “Interventions used to achieve this might be dimming the lights in the room and hallways, offering music of the patient's preference, managing end of life symptoms that may cause distress, providing soft clothing and spa-like baths. We also allow patient pets to visit.”
We provide a multitude of services to ensure the patient and their families are provided mental, spiritual and physical support as they navigate hospice. Some examples include:
“We develop a close relationship with our patients and become like a member of their family,” McKay says. “Families return to our facility each year in memory of their loved one. They often bring donations of clothing and other items to continue to pay it forward. They bless us with hugs and prayers and tell us what a difference we made during a difficult time.”
INTEGRIS Health Hospice House
INTEGRIS Health Hospice House offers compassionate, around-the-clock care for patients who meet the criteria for pain and symptom control that cannot be managed in other settings. Our hospice-trained nurses focus on comfort, dignity and expert symptom relief.
We also provide respite care, offering short-term stays to give family caregivers a much-needed break. Each hospice patient is eligible for up to five days of respite care per benefit period.
The INTEGRIS Health Hospice House is thoughtfully designed to offer a warm, homelike atmosphere for patients and their families. Our amenities include:
Volunteering and Philanthropy
INTEGRIS Health Hospice relies on the generosity of others through United Way; the Combined Federal Campaign designated donations, the INTEGRIS Health Foundation and families of past patients.
Volunteers also play an important role in our hospice care team. With their generous love and compassion, volunteers provide added comfort to the care of the dying, a listening ear to the grieving family member and quality support to the hospice staff. If you are looking for an opportunity for hospice volunteering in Oklahoma, please consider joining our team.
INTEGRIS Health Hospice serves communities surrounding Oklahoma City and the metropolitan area. To refer yourself or a patient, please call 405-848-8884. Learn more about our hospice and palliative care services by visiting our website
