The Nebraska Department of Correctional Service's (NDCS) has launched a program aimed at bringing transformative change to end-of-life care in Nebraska correctional facilities.

The hospice care volunteer program engages peers to provide companionship and emotional support, assist with daily activities, and stand vigil with terminally ill patients to ensure they are not alone in their final moments. Volunteers are selected from the general population at the Reception and Treatment Center (RTC) who apply and meet the program’s criteria. 

Designed with a holistic approach to end-of-life care, volunteers complete a comprehensive 10-week training program, delivered by healthcare professionals and work in collaboration with NDCS team members to address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of incarcerated individuals who have a terminal diagnosis.

Individuals typically spend a couple hours each day volunteering for this program, allowing them to also maintain employment within the facility and participate in programming. Volunteers extend their support throughout the entire end-of-life journey, forming connections with patients well before the final stages of hospice care, becoming trusted confidants, guiding patients through deeply personal end-of-life discussions, and helping to clarify and fulfill their final wishes.

The program was launched at RTC in Lincoln. Equipped with a skilled nursing facility, including rooms designated for hospice care, RTC is the center of excellence for healthcare services at NDCS. #Program #HospiceCare #Wellbeing

Watch the video about this program here: https://youtu.be/s1Ko-2x-efQ