Medical Assistants Needed in Hospice Care
Posted On December 16,2022
All healthcare professionals help people and make an impact on the lives of their patients. Medical assistants (MAs) are unique because they’re cross-trained to perform clinical and administrative duties. While many medical assistants work in physicians’ offices or clinics, they can also work in numerous healthcare settings, including hospitals, laboratories, nursing homes, and more. Medical assistants can also choose to work in hospice care.
What is Hospice Care?
Hospice care centers on the quality of life in individuals in the final stages of a terminal illness. Hospice care prioritizes managing and relieving the symptoms, rather than treating the disease, so the patient remains as comfortable as possible. Hospice care can also occur at a patient’s home, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, or in hospitals.
What Are the Duties of a Hospice MA?
If you’re interested in becoming a medical assistant specializing in hospice care, your duties may include feeding, bathing, dressing, and administering medication. You may also monitor patients and record vital signs. Hospice care requires 24/7 care, so MAs might be required to work shifts outside of regular business hours.
Why Work in Hospice Care?
The thought of looking into someone’s eyes as they face the end of life can be overwhelming. On the other hand, watching patients say their final goodbyes to loved ones in a comfortable, pain-free environment is an immensely rewarding experience in the healthcare field.
There are many myths about end-of-life care. Given the misconceptions, it’s essential to highlight a few of the many reasons why so many choose to care for the terminally and chronically ill.
Hospice Care is Rewarding
Contrary to the belief that end-of-life care is morbid or depressing, many hospice workers say it’s intensely rewarding and uplifting. When MAs provide comfort for chronically ill patients, they’re not fixating on death but instead honoring the final moments of life. They’re helping patients get through the pain and confusion of their illness while also providing comfort to their loved ones.
Hospice Care is Educational
Whether an MA works in a hospital, a physician’s office, or someone’s home, they are always learning. Hospice care is no exception. In addition to practicing basic medical skills, medical assistants learn a lot about people and how to communicate well. Hospice MAs also gain a valuable sense of perspective. Death is a reality that we all must face eventually. Hospice care teaches caretakers to appreciate life’s value and savor every moment.
Hospice Care is Personal
In a medical industry that’s become increasingly depersonalized, hospice care provides one of the last links with the more individualized care of the past. When you work with the terminally ill, you’re not treating a disease so much as a unique person with distinctive physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. There’s honor, dignity, and contentment for both the patient and the medical assistant.
Ready to Become a Medical Assistant?
If you’re interested in becoming a medical assistant and working in hospice care, your first step is finding a quality MA training program. Athena Career Academy offers training as a Certified Medical Assistant. The CMA program is designed to teach students the skills necessary for employment in modern medical facilities. If hospice care is where you hope to end up, Athena Career Academy can help you achieve your dream career. Contact us today to learn more.
