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Patient & Family Services
Harbor Hospice is a unique place. Our services provide dignity and comfort for the dying, and hope for living. We ensure that patients who are at the end of their lives, and their loved ones, are made comfortable, feel safe, and are provided with the medical and emotional support they need. Our goal is to create an end of life experience characterized by joy, in familiar surroundings, and when possible, in the company and care of loved ones.
Harbor Hospice delivers care wherever it is needed. For many patients, their wish is to be at home, free of pain and surrounded by loved ones. For others, their home may be the skilled nursing facility where they reside, and hospice care is delivered to them there. With the opening of the Poppen Hospice Residence in October of 2005, there is yet another choice for patients. Common to all three options is end of life caring characterized by empathy, excellence and experience.
| Home care Nursing Facilities Poppen Hospice Residence Spiritual Care Bereavement and Grief Support |
Volunteer Programs Palliative Care Pain Management Children’s Programs How to Obtain Services |
Home care is the heart of hospice care. Since 1983, home care is the core of what we do. Nine out of ten Americans say they want to die at home, in familiar surroundings, pain-free, and with the people they love. To facilitate that, Harbor Hospice brings the expertise of medical professionals, the assistance of home health aides, and the support of social workers, spiritual caregivers and volunteers to the homes of our patients. Nurses are available by telephone around the clock.
Nursing facilities are home to many people and hospice care is delivered there as well. When someone in a nursing home comes into our care, they receive an extra layer of expertise and attention as their life draws to its close. Hospice staff members, with all their special skills and knowledge on end of life issues, help the patients and their families have a peaceful, dignified ending.
Poppen Hospice Residence is a fourteen room facility that becomes a home away from home for folks who need it. Some people who come into our care do not have a caregiver at home, or perhaps their caregiver is too frail. Sometimes medical needs become too complicated for the caregiver to handle and a residential setting becomes the best choice. The staff there are specialists in end of life care, delivered on a 24/7 basis.
Spiritual Care is offered to every Harbor Hospice family. Most people believe that prayer helps. Many of our patients are affiliated with a faith community and they receive pastoral visits from their church, but hospice spiritual caregivers may come too, if the patient chooses. Spiritual care counselors have special training and are non-judgmental and accepting of each individualís spirituality. At admission, patients are offered this help, but may request spiritual care at any time. If you have questions, call Harbor Hospice and ask to speak to the Spiritual Care Coordinator, 231-728-3442 or 800-497-9559.
Bereavement and Grief Support
Because grief is a deeply personal experience and each person grieves differently, hospice offers a variety of services and programs to
help. Grief support services are available to hospice families as well as anyone in the community having experienced the loss of a loved
one.
- One-on-One counseling with a bereavement counselor can help work through many of the emotions that accompany the death of a family member or close friend.
- Grief Support Groups offer opportunities to share with others who have also lost a loved one.
- Educational programs such as the Grief Recovery Course are offered throughout the year and are designed to help participants understand the grief process and paths to recovery.
- Grief Support programs for Children are coordinated by hospice and offered in area schools.
- Camp Courage, a camping experience for children ages 6-14 who have experienced the death of a family member or friend, is offered during the summer.
Harbor Hospice Bereavement counselors are licensed professionals.
To learn more about any of the grief programs offered or to request an individual appointment, contact the Bereavement Services Coordinator at 231-728-3442 or 800-497-9559.
Volunteer Programs: The volunteer is essential to the success of our hospice program. Volunteers provide companionship and support to patients and their families. There are many types of volunteer activities such as respite care, companionship programs, errand and delivery services, bereavement, spiritual care, and a wide selection of specialty services. Our volunteers represent a variety of age, occupational, cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds. Volunteers are matched to the patients and families based upon individual needs and medical/social assessment.
The Volunteer Coordinator can answer any questions you may have about becoming a Harbor Hospice Volunteer and tell you when the next Volunteer Training is scheduled. The Volunteer Coordinator is available at 231-728-3442 or 800-497-9559.
Palliative Care: Harbor Hospice and Mercy General Health Partners jointly offer a program of palliative care to patients who are chronically ill. Together, these organizations work to inform people about their chronic disease and help them understand what the disease trajectory looks like. Patients are assisted with symptom management, goal-setting, pain management, and spiritual and emotional issues.
Pain Management: The clinical team at Harbor Hospice works with the patients, their physician, and the family to explore both traditional and alternative treatments. One such example is the use of Sea Bands, such as folks use on cruises to prevent seasickness. The elastic wrist bands have a pressure button that prevents nausea in many patients. Our staff is trained to use Korean Hand Therapy to help relieve pain. Massage therapy and music therapy are also for some patients.
Childrenís Programs: Pediatric hospice care is available through Harbor Hospice. Grief support services also include programs for children such as Camp Courage, a special setting for kids 6-14 who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Puppet shows about grief are presented at elementary schools throughout the area. Call the Bereavement Coordinator for additional information.
How to Obtain Services: Call Harbor Hospice, 231-728-3442 or 800-497-9559, and an Intake Specialist will walk you through the process and arrange for an informational visit if you wish to have one. The official referral must come from your physician, but the patient and/or the family member can call to get more information at any time.
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1050 W. Western Ave., Suite 400, Muskegon, MI 49441 | Formerly Hospice of Muskegon-Oceana | |