HOSPICE CARE

In these precious moments of life, your focus as a family member, or patient diagnosed with a terminal illness should not be on advance care planning and comfort management. The services offered in hospice care address the patient's physical, emotional, spiritual, and social needs; providing a fully comprehensive care plan that allows patients and family members alike the ability to focus on celebrating life.

Is Hospice Care Appropriate at this Time?

Hospice is appropriate if you have been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness by your physician, and they have determined that you are likely in the "last stages of life" (this is often measured in weeks or months rather than in years).

Additionally, you are no longer seeking care or treatments aimed at potentially curing your illness (often--but not always--because all options have already been exhausted). Instead, your goal is to manage the pain and other symptoms and receive support for yourself, your family, and your caregivers.

Where the Care Happens

Care is provided in the comfort of your own home. A skilled care team is assigned scheduled visits that work with your schedule and preferences.

To Learn More

Family, Friends, and Hired Caregivers

As mentioned above, these people are providing your day-to-day care. Often, a person's spouse or adult child has stepped into the role of primary caregiver. Regardless of who has stepped into this trusted role, the primary caregiver communicates often with the other members of this hospice care team (usually your nurses and our office staff).
Doctors

Your Hospice Doctor is responsible for your medical care; this will involve: the ordering of your medications and any medical equipment, and arranging hospitalization if necessary.
Skilled Nurses

Your Hospice nurse is your main point of contact. As such, they are responsible for coordinating your care and advocating for your needs (changes in medication, equipment, services, etc.) and answering any questions you have about your medical care. Your nurse will also teach your caregivers how to care for symptoms you are experiencing). *note that your nurse does not provide hands-on, day-to-day caregiving. Your nurse will come for short visits once a week (unless a higher frequency is required)
Medical Social Workers

Our medical social workers are trained to offer you and your family emotional and social support. During their visits they are able to help with directing you towards any resources that might benefit you. Additionally, they can help to complete paperwork, memorial or funeral service planning or referrals to bereavement support.
Home Health Aides

Hospice Aides assist with personal care, hygiene and certain household tasks to maintain a safe and sanitary home environment. The visits are for a few hours a week, with tasks including: bathing, bed transfers, help with dressing, light housework, and additional support for family members.
Spiritual Counselors

Our spiritual counselors provide cross-denominational spiritual guidance and emotional support for people of all faiths and backgrounds. These visits can be requested at any time.
Bereavement Counselors

Bereavement Support is available for a full year following the death of a loved one. Bereavement counselors might be a social worker, a bereavement coordinator and/or chaplain, and they offer: individual support, telephone follow-ups, grief counseling, and community resources for support groups.
Additional Team Members

Our office staff is available 24/7 to offer assistance in changes of condition, education of family members in providing care, and offer immediate support in these challenging times. Other team members may include: Rehabilitative therapists (Physical, Occupational, and Speech), Nutritionists (to support with dietary concerns or needs), and Pharmacists (helping our staff with all medication related needs)
Volunteers

Our trained Hospice volunteers are available to you and your family whenever you'd like. Our volunteers are able to visit (companionship--converse or to read to you), provide company, run short errands or provide a short break for your caregiver.

Hospice Care: Service

What to Expect from Hospice

During your final months, weeks, and days of life, it is your family, friends, or hired caregivers that will be taking care of you. Our role as your Care Team will be to provide support for you and each of these people.

Hospice utilizes a coordinated team approach. Led by doctors and nurses, our staff undergoes specialized training in hospice care and meets regularly to review, evaluate and direct individualized care plans. With your trust and comfort in mind, we work together to ensure that your medical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs are taken care of.

Your Care Team

Paying for the Service
Hospice is a Medicare, federally-funded, program. As such, many state Medicaid plans and private health insurance plans pay for hospice.

In choosing the Medicare hospice benefit, the patient agrees to give up curative treatments and procedures, in return for all the services and supplies that hospice provides:

health-care services, social/psychological services, spiritual services, medical staff on-call, and delivery of supplies.

To Learn More