Care Keys - Aides
Why “Rate Your Pain From 0 to 10” Is More Complex Than It Seems
Pain assessment is foundational to clinical care, but nowhere is it more central – or more urgent – than in hospice. The familiar questions “How much pain are you in right now?” and “Is it better or worse than last week?” are routine. Yet, they are often quite difficult to answer and often yield ans
November 30, 2025 · 7 min read
Beyond the Diagnosis: Presence, Empathy, and Clinical Care
The multiple facets of healthcare In most conversations about healthcare, we talk about the clinical side first.Did the doctor order the right tests?Was the surgery successful?What did the scan show? Those questions matter, of course. But if you’ve ever been the patient in the bed – or the family me
November 25, 2025 · 7 min read
Keeping Hands Clean: A Guide for Hospice Clinicians
Clean hands are one of the most important ways you protect your patients, yourself, and your community. Let's learn why hand hygiene is so vital and how to do it right. A Quick Look Back: Did you know that doctors didn't always understand the importance of handwashing? Back in the 1800s, a doctor no
February 9, 2025 · 3 min read
See Something Say Something: Mandatory Reporting!
Hospice clinicians are mandated reporters with an individual duty to report known or suspected patient abuse. See something – say something!
January 23, 2025 · 3 min read
Hospice Documentation: Why It’s Vital and How to Do It Right
What is documentation? Documentation is an essential part of patient care, especially when you are working as a member of a hospice team. Hospice documentation involves writing down everything you did, observed, and discussed with the patient and their family during your visit. This includes the car
August 26, 2024 · 3 min read
Patient Privacy, Confidentiality, and HIPAA Regulations
As a member of the hospice healthcare team, you play an important role in caring for your patients. Because of this, you will often learn private information about them – not just about their health, but also about their personal relationships, their financial situations, and other sensitive and per
August 25, 2024 · 3 min read
Understanding Advanced Directives
What are advanced directives? Advanced directives give patients the ability to direct their medical care in advance. Advanced directives are legal documents that tell doctors and caregivers what a patient wants for their healthcare if the patient becomes too sick to speak or make decisions. Advanc
August 24, 2024 · 2 min read
Helping with Medications: What Hospice Aides Need to Know
As a hospice home health aide (HHA), you have an important job in taking care of patients. Part of your job is helping with medications, but it’s really important to know what you can and can’t do. The rules might change depending on the state you work in, because each state has its own guidelines.
August 23, 2024 · 4 min read
OTC, Prescription Medications, and Quality of Patient Care
When taking care of patients in hospice, it’s important to understand the difference between over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications. Knowing how these medications work and what they’re used for can help you provide better care. What Are Over-the-Counter Medications? Over-the-counter (OT
August 19, 2024 · 2 min read
Burn Prevention for Hospice Patients
Burns and scalds are serious injuries that can happen to anyone, but they are especially dangerous for people who are sick or elderly. Understanding how these injuries occur and how to prevent them is a key part of your job as a hospice aide. Burns can be caused by dry heat, such as touching a [&hel
August 12, 2024 · 5 min read
Fall Prevention for Hospice Patients
Falls can cause serious injuries, so it's important to take steps to prevent them. By being careful and following these tips, you can help keep your patients safe from falls. What May Contribute to Falls Several things can make a patient more likely to fall. Understanding these factors can help you
August 11, 2024 · 4 min read
Body Mechanics for Improved Safety
Body mechanics means using your body the right way to do tasks safely and without getting hurt. When you take care of patients, it’s important to use good body mechanics to protect yourself from injuries. Let’s start by learning some key ideas that help you understand body mechanics better. Key Conc
August 11, 2024 · 4 min read
Writing an Incident Report
An incident report is a special kind of report that you write when something unusual or unexpected happens during your visit with a patient. This could be anything that isn’t part of the normal care routine. When to Write an Incident Report An incident report is needed if: How to Write an Incident R
August 11, 2024 · 2 min read
Communicating with Patients
When you talk to a patient, you share information with them, and they share information with you. Communication can happen in many ways, such as: Understanding the Patient’s Emotions Encouraging Communication Handling Difficult Behavior Sometimes, patients might act in a way that seems angry or upse
August 11, 2024 · 2 min read
Steps to Follow Before Hospice Patient Care
Before you start taking care of a patient, follow these important steps. Doing them each time helps you remember and makes them a habit, ensuring both you and your patient are safe and comfortable. 1. Wash Your Hands: Washing your hands helps stop the spread of germs and keeps everyone healthy. Many
August 11, 2024 · 3 min read
Steps to Follow After Hospice Patient Care
It's important to follow these steps after you finish taking care of a patient. Doing these steps every time helps you remember them and makes them a habit. This helps keep both you and your patients safe and healthy. 1. Lower the Patient’s Bed If you raised the bed to take care of the patient, [&he
August 11, 2024 · 2 min read
End-of-Life Pain Management
One of the greatest fears people face at the end of life is pain. Sadly, many individuals with serious illness still experience unnecessary suffering because pain is not fully recognized, effectively treated, or clearly communicated to the care team. Pain affects more than just the body. It impacts
February 25, 2024 · 4 min read
