Southeast Hospice

Southeast Hospice is based in McAlester and visits homes across about a 60-mile radius. A nurse, a home health aide, and a social worker share the work. The nurse handles pain and other symptoms. The aide helps with bathing and meals. The social worker helps the family sort out time, money, and who is staying the night. Care is arranged from what the person asks for, not from a standard package. The program does not refuse a patient because the family cannot pay. A foundation and volunteers cover gaps so the visits still happen. Staff are part of the We Honor Veterans program, which means they have training for the particular history many older Oklahomans bring to the end of life. Families can ask, before the first visit, how often a nurse will come and who answers the phone after dark.