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What Is Supportive Care? Find Comfort at Baptist Health

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Supportive Care Services When You Need Them Most

When you or a loved one experiences a difficult medical event, Baptist Health is here. Find the supportive care services you need such as pastoral care, supportive medicine, living will services and bereavement support.

Pastoral Care

Our pastoral care staff supports you through your most trying times, rejoicing with you when you hear good news and grieving alongside you during difficult times. Chaplains are available 24 hours a day, every day, to take prayer requests and provide emotional and spiritual support for patients and their families.

Medical Advice and Supportive Medicine

For those with a terminal illness or life-threatening condition, every minute matters. Through supportive medicine, our expert interdisciplinary team helps make their remaining days, weeks or months as comfortable as possible through compassionate, comprehensive care.

Living Will and Advanced Directive

Through a living will and advanced directives, you can provide written, legal instructions to help your family, friends and healthcare providers adhere to your wishes during a medical crisis should you be unable to make them known due to a serious illness, injury, coma, dementia or other conditions.

Hospice Care

Hospice guides patients and their families through the final phase of life by providing pain management as well as emotional and spiritual support. Through compassionate and supportive care, patients are given the highest quality of life possible in their final days in a hospice center or home setting.

Bereavement Support

The loss of a loved one marks the start of a lengthy journey through grief and sadness—a path you do not have to walk by yourself. Amid the emotional difficulty after a death, key decisions and responsibilities must be addressed, some with immediate urgency. Whether you are a spouse, parent, child, sibling, partner, or close friend, this guidance is designed to assist you with the necessary tasks and offer support during your grieving process. Details on local support groups are provided below. It is our hope that you find comfort in love and reassurance, knowing you are supported every step of the way.

Immediate Steps

  • Reach Out: Contact family, friends, or a spiritual advisor (clergy, chaplain, hospital social worker, etc.) for support. Staff are available to provide a private space for final goodbyes.
  • Care For Yourself: Please manage your own immediate needs, such as rest, meals, or medications. Don't hesitate to lean on loved ones for support.
  • Discuss Donations: Inform nursing staff as soon as possible if your loved one wished to be an organ or tissue donor.
  • Personal Effects: Please gather your loved one’s belongings. Ask a nurse if any items were secured for safekeeping.
  • Funeral Arrangements: Select a funeral home or cremation provider at your own pace. Once decided within seven days, inform the nursing office to coordinate the transfer.

Considering Plans & Services

  • Funeral or Cremation Plans: There are numerous ways to honor your loved one through meaningful funeral or cremation plans. Costs vary based on the specific services selected. We encourage you to have open discussions with your family and a funeral director regarding your preferences.
  • Anatomical Gifts: If finances are a priority, explore anatomical gift programs. These no-cost programs support medical education and research while covering transportation, cremation, and the death certificate. Because strict time limits apply, families must contact these organizations immediately to arrange donation. Body donation is a respectful option for those seeking an alternative to traditional services or facing budget constraints.
  • Autopsy: While Baptist Health does not provide autopsy services by request. You may arrange for a private examination through a funeral director or medical professional.

Practical Matters

  • Grief Support: You do not have to walk this path alone. We encourage seeking bereavement counseling, support groups, or hospice care.
  • Legal & Administrative: A funeral director will help guide you through the process of obtaining a death certificate and managing necessary documentation within three days. Consulting a legal professional can also assist with administrative tasks such as estate planning. The finalized record must be filed with the Vital Records Section of the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) no later than 10 days following the passing.