Our Philosophy

We believe that hospice care should be patient centered. That sorrow and grief can be met with compassion and caring. We believe hospice restores integrity, bonds families/caregivers and remains a vital link in peacefully assisting patients at the end of life's journey.

What is Hospice?

Hospice is a gift of caring for those you love. It is a specialized care for people on life's final journey, emphasizing comfort. Focusing on symptom control and pain management with dignity maintained. We provide care for the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of the patient, as well as supporting services for the family.

Our "Four Levels of Care"

Home Care - Hospice care for patients in the home or wherever they reside; including at home, a family member's home, assisted living facilities, inpatient facilities or nursing home facilities.

Continuous "Crisis" Home Care - Continuous Care is for crisis intervention. After the hospice nurse assesses the situation, the nurse may call for continuous care for some fo these examples:

• Sudden change in condition
• Sudden onset of unmanageable pain, uncontrolled nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Respiratory distress
• Death is imminent with unstable vital signs
• Severe agitation, disorientation or combative behavior

Inpatient Care - We offer inpatient care if our patient has symptoms that become too difficult to manage at home. There are several facilities that are available to assist us in their care. The attending physician will direct the management of the patient symptoms while in the facility.

Inpatient Respite Care - We offer respite care for families/caregivers for a short period of time (up to 5 days) to allow the caregiver a rest. There are several facilities available to assist us with this care. Our staff will continue to visit the designated facility.

Family Support - Who provides the support we need as a family? The Hospice Interdisciplinary Team consists of:

• The Hospice Medical Director
• The Patient's Attending Physician
• RN Case Managers
• LPNs
• Medical Social Workers
• Chaplains
• Bereavement Care Coordinator
• Certified Nursing Assistants
• Volunteers

Who Pays for Hospice?

Hospice is paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, Private Insurance or Private Pay to include:

• Medicines related to the hospice diagnosis
• Medical Supplies related to hospice diagnosis
• Medical Equipment related to the hospice diagnosis
• Professional nursing available
• On-call professional nursing available 24/7

Diagnoses That Lead to Hospice

All end stage illnesses including cancer, stroke, Alzheimer's, COPD, CHF, AIDS, kidney failure and Parkinson's.

Volunteers

There are three areas in which someone can volunteer:

• Administrative in our office, assisting with bereavement mail outs and cards of support
• Direct Patient Care consists of visiting with patients, running errands, even sitting with the patient to give the family a break
• Bereavement Care is directed by our team which follows the grieving families for 13 months after their loss of a loved one.

The Bereavement Team offers personal visits, phone calls and letters of support. This team also hosts a monthly grief support group called The Bridge Club to assist our families and the community with grief related issues including guest speakers. A simple smile from a volunteer can make the day of one of our patients. Come be a part of a tremendously rewarding service and give your time and skills to those who need it most.

Getting Hospice Care

• The Physician makes a diagnosis of a patient's illness as hospice appropriate.
• The Physician certifies a prognosis that the patient has 6 months or less.
• The Physician and/or the family make a request to Hospice.

We have staff available to meet with you to discuss our services and to answer any questions you may have.

More Information

Contact Us
Employment Application
Myths and Misconceptions

Helpful Websites

National Hospice and Palliative Care
Americans for Better Care of the Dying
National Hospice Foundation