Home Care

Hospice care is available to anyone with a terminal diagnosis that curative treatment is no longer an option. Their goal is comfort or "palliative" care to allow them to enjoy time with family and friends.

Your doctor is needed to certify that Hospice is appropriate to begin the admission process.

Once the doctor has given the order for Hospice care, you will begin meeting the interdisciplinary team members available to you:

Each team member will assist with supporting the patient and their family through the physical, emotional and spiritual changes and questions that occur when facing a terminal illness.

The team will help the patient and family identify what durable medical equipment is needed to make the patient comfortable and ease the burden of care for the family. Below is a list of common equipment provided by Hospice. It is not all-inclusive. All patient needs are assessed on an individual basis.

The team members will teach the patient's family what they need to know to properly and safely care for their loved one. As the patient's condition changes, the Hospice team members are available to readdress patient needs and provide equipment in the home to ease the burden of care and provide comfort to the patient. Patient caregivers are taught on a continuous basis proper transfer techniques and safety precautions.

Interdisciplinary Team Visits

The team will develop a visit schedule with the family. The nurse and nurses aide commonly will visit between 2-5 times a week, depending on the needs of the patient and family. The Social Worker and Spiritual Caregiver will visit usually on a monthly basis, unless more visits are requested or needed. Volunteers are available on an as needed basis to provide extra support to the family or allow them to take a short break out of the home. One of the wonderful features of Hospice care is that the team caring for the patient will be the same people each time. The same Nurse, Nurses Aide, Social Worker and Spiritual Caregiver will visit the patient to allow a relationship to develop between the patient and their Hospice caregiver.

The Hospice Home Care program does not provide 24 hour in home care. Team member visits are usually 30-90 minutes in duration. If a patient is in need of a 24 hour caregiver, the Social Worker will work with the patient and family to review options available to them in the community.

Even though Hospice staff cannot be in the patient's home 24 hours a day, there is a Nurse available to answer questions and make emergency visits 24 hours a day. If a patient calls Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm they will be able to contact their regular nurse. If a patient calls after office hours, an On-Call Nurse who is familiar with patient's home situation will be available to answer questions or make a visit in the middle of the night if needed.

There is always someone available at Hospice 24 hours a day to answer questions and provide support to the family. Visits will be made to the patient's home, regardless of the time, if the situation calls for it.