There are a lot of services involved with hospice care, and really, one key reason we’re able to keep things running smoothly is our case managers. At Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care, we have amazing case managers on staff but also work with so many others in our hospice community. Across every care setting, they make such a difference in the experience our patients receive.
We appreciate their work every day, but one week a year we celebrate their dedication and compassion, specifically. In October, the ACMA (American Case Management Association) honors case managers around the country with National Case Management Week. This year’s theme is “Case Management: Improving Outcomes. Improving Care.”
The patient care outcomes we’re able to achieve as a hospice agency are largely due to the case managers in our organization and network. This week we’re commending our teams and recognizing the difference they make in our patients’ lives—every single day.
Community Case Managers
Whether it’s a skilled nursing facility or a hospital’s case manager, we value and appreciate the expertise they bring to our team. They are the people who coordinate patients’ care as they’re discharged from the hospital and come onto our services. Very often, they’ll arrange everything from transportation, to helping families navigate their options, and make sure we have all the information we need to seamlessly transfer a patient’s care.
One of the things we always hear from the case managers we work with outside of our organization is that they know they can trust the services we provide. When they refer a patient to us, they know we’ll bring them onto care quickly and that we’ll deliver the highest quality care possible. We also maintain an open line of communication with community case managers, and they know they can get on the phone with one of our nurses or intake coordinators to get any of their needs met. They know they can rely on us when one of their families is in need or in crisis, whether it’s 9 PM on a Sunday, or midday on a holiday; we prioritize patient care and will meet with case managers and families whenever they need us.
Ardent Case Managers
Once a patient comes onto our services, our case managers do an incredible job of overseeing all aspects of their care. In a sense, they’re a personalized nurse for the family and take care of the patient’s every need at home. They order the patient’s medication or durable medical equipment; schedule visits with our social worker, spiritual counselor or CHHA (Certified Home Health Aide); and make sure the patient and family are comfortable overall.
Each patient’s care team is headed by a case manager, with additional support from LVN and volunteers. Our goal—as well as the case manager’s—is to make every patient feel as though they are our only patient.
Case Managers’ Impact on Care
Case managers—no matter the care setting—have a huge impact on how a patient’s hospice experience is arranged and administered, which really sets the foundation for the patient’s overall care. They help build trust in our families by assuring them they can rely on our team for all their needs.
Because we are a smaller hospice, we’re able to deliver more personalized care at every level. Our case managers frequently go above and beyond to make sure our families are comfortable and supported. They become an extended part of our patients’ families, and are always looking for different ways to enhance a patient’s care. For instance, we had a patient who absolutely adored her dog, but couldn’t bring it with her to her assisted living home. That woman’s case manager found a plush dog to replicate her beloved friend.
The closeness our patients develop with their case manager follows suit down the line of care. As a team, we work to make sure our patients and their families are supported and comfortable in every way. To find out more information about Ardent’s hospice and palliative care services, visit us online or call us at (559) 408-5945.
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