An interdisciplinary team of professionals and volunteers provides competent care. Though most hospice services are provided in the patient's home, they might also take place in a nursing home, hospital or residential facility.

St. Francis Hospice offers:

• Skilled nursing care (infusion therapy, pain management, symptom management, case management, acute care, respite care)
• State-of-the-art pain and symptom management (24-hour on-call nursing support, plus emotional and spiritual support) 
• Home hospice aides (bathing, exercises, personal care)
• Therapy services (physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapies)
• Individual and family counseling by a social worker (short-term individual & family support with a focus on assessment and referral if needed)
• Social work services
• Pastoral and spiritual care
• Patient comfort cart (blankets, magazines, food, healing music, massage)
• Volunteer support (companionship, household tasks, respite for caregivers)
• Bereavement support for loved ones (support groups, monthly newsletter, resource library, quarterly memorial services)
• Dietary counseling (short-term individual & family support & assessment)
• Community education and outreach (speaker's bureau)
• Advocacy (to professional organizations and institutions of learning)
• Clinical rotations (nursing, medical, social work and chaplaincy students)
• Camp Healing Tree (free annual weekend retreat for children ages 7-17, to grieve and share in a safe and healing environment)
• Caterpillar Kids (free support group for children ages 5-12 to learn to cope with the loss of a loved one)
• Lunchtime Fellowship Group  (for those who have lost a loved one and still feel the loss.)

Serves:

• Marion County, including Indianapolis, Beech Grove and Speedway
• Morgan County, including Martinsville and Mooresville
• Shelby County, including Shelbyville
• Johnson County, including Franklin, Bargersville and Greenwood
• western Hancock County  (including Sugar Creek, Cumberland, Pleasant View)
• eastern Hendricks County (including Avon, Plainfield)

Contact: Linda Graves, RN

Location: 438 S. Emerson Ave., Greenwood, 46143

Phone: (317) 865-2092

Hospice is not a place but a philosophy of caring that provides comfort and support to people in the final stages of a terminal illness and their families. This support restores a sense of dignity and meaning to the patient and family, allowing them to live each day to the fullest.

Volunteers are an integral part to the St. Francis Hospice Program. Areas of support that may be provided by volunteers include:

• Companionship for family members and patients
• Shopping and running errands for families
• Cooking, laundry and household chores
• Office work
• Massage therapy
• Reflexology
• Music therapy
• Hair stylist
• Assistance in fundraising activities
• Assistance in bereavement support

Hospice volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and make a six-month commitment to volunteer with St. Francis Hospice. All new Hospice volunteers complete a health screening and training program consisting of six two-hour sessions focusing on issues related to Hospice care. Download a Hospice Volunteer application.

Hospice Helpers are individuals that like to do a special project or have a talent they share with us occasionally. No special training is required. Download a Hospice Helpers application.

For more information on volunteer opportunities, please contact Glenda Dennison at (317) 859-2874.