What if help is needed in the middle of the night or on the weekend?
Sometimes help is needed in the middle of the night or on the weekend. When that happens, phone our answering service which will contact the on-call nurse. This nurse will call back to assess the situation. If the on-call nurse isn't able to resolve the issue over the phone, he or she will make a home visit.
Examples of when Benton Hospice Service would expect a phone call:
- If the patient is experiencing uncomfortable symptoms
- If the patient has an increase or change in
- pain
- nausea
- anxiety
- agitation
- If breathing becomes uncomfortable or difficult
- If a dressing becomes saturated or falls off
- If there is an unexpected change in the patient's condition
- Anytime you are considering calling 911
- If the patient dies
If in doubt about a situation, please call!
While Benton Hospice Service is available around the clock, our hope is that some of the following needs will be taken care of during business hours:
- Delivery of supplies
- Medication refills
- Requests for additional services
- Routine care questions
For after-hours needs that do not require immediate attention, leave a message with our answering service and the appropriate staff person will get in touch the next business day.
We understand that unexpected situations arise at all hours even with the best planning. When emergencies do occur, that's when we expect and welcome a call.