ENHANCES the quality of life for terminally ill individuals and their significant others by providing physical, emotional and spiritual support before, during and following an individual’s death.

·         Affirms life and helps individuals "live until they die" by encouraging them to participate in life as fully as possible.

·         Focuses on medically supervised pain and symptom care; promotes a healthy emotional environment and provides information related to disease process to assure self-directed care.

·         Provides care in individual’s place of residence, including nursing homes.

·         Supports survivors with bereavement services.

·         Offers benefits that other types of health care may not.

Services provided by the Hospice team:

·         Physician - directs care and reviews medical needs

·         Registered Nurse - provides direct care, such as pain and symptom control, coordinates services

·         Social Worker - provides assessment, counseling, crisis interventions, resource and referral information, financial planning, and advocacy

·         Spiritual Coordinator - provides and assists the coordination of spiritual counseling

·         Volunteer Support - trusted companions and friends; they also may provide bereavement support

·         Home Care Aide - assists with personal care and household chores

·         Also available: physical, occupational and speech/language therapists, pharmacists and dietician

·         24-hour a day, 7-day a week contact available with an agency nurse on call.

 Who is eligible?  

·         Referrals are accepted from any interested person. 

·         Must have a confirmed diagnosis of an advanced incurable disease.

·         Care must remain under the direction of a physician. 

·         Must have an available and willing person that serves as the primary caregiver.

·         Persons no longer receiving curative care but seeking comfort care for an illness.

 What is the fee?

Hospice services are billed to Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance and private pay.

·         The Medicare Hospice Benefit pays the full cost of all health services related to terminal illness: equipment, medical supplies, therapies, short term inpatient care, nursing service on an intermittent basis, physician, Home Care Aid and Medical Social Services, drugs for pain and symptom management, inpatient and respite services.

·         The beneficiary is required to pay 5% of the cost of outpatient drugs or $5 for each prescription which ever is less and 5% of Medicare rate for respite care.

For more information contact Tami Kinney or Linda Sukovaty.