What is Hospice?
What is hospice?
Hospice care focuses on improving the quality of life for you or your loved one when faced with an incurable illness. Each patient and his or her caregivers receive individualized care that meets their unique physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Hospice care focuses on caring, not curing, and neither hastens nor prolongs the dying process.
Where does hospice care take place?
Wherever you call home, Hospice of the Comforter will provide services to you and your loved ones. Our goal is to keep patients where they are most comfortable, surrounded by their loved ones. We provide care in private homes, assisted living facilities, nursing homes and even inpatient facilities like Hospice House.
What services are provided?
Hospice of the Comforter will work closely with you to create an individualized care plan that addresses your unique needs. Patients benefit from improved comfort and managed symptoms by receiving medicine, supplies and compassionate medical care in the comfort of home. Your hospice team also attends to your practical concerns—such as insurance coverage and assistance with bathing—in addition to your emotional and spiritual needs, including caregiver stress, grief and loss.
Your hospice team will include a physician, nurse, social worker, non-denominational chaplain, pharmacist, certified nursing assistant and trained volunteer. All of our services, from our first visit to our follow-up grief support, are provided regardless of your ability to pay.
Are there different types of hospice care levels?
Our services are designed to meet patient and family needs, and we understand that needs can change over time. During your hospice care, you may receive different ‘levels’ of care depending on your condition. These levels ensure that we are able to meet a patient’s needs, no matter what they are. The levels of care that Hospice of the Comforter provides are:
Routine Care: Day-to-day care is provided by patients or caregivers with the support of the hospice team. Routine visits are made by team members to best meet the needs of the patient and caregiver.
Respite Care: Though rewarding, being a caregiver can also be exhausting. When a caregiver needs short-term relief, a patient may be admitted to a contracted facility for a maximum of five days. A hospice team will continue to visit the patient during this time.
Inpatient Care: Patients may be admitted to a hospital, facility, or Hospice of the Comforter’s Hospice House for a short time to manage symptoms such as uncontrolled pain, nausea, vomiting or difficulty breathing. Once the symptoms are stabilized, the patient may return home.
Crisis Care: Designed for short periods of time, Crisis Care assists with the management of uncontrolled symptoms so that the patient can return to a state of comfort as soon as possible. Patients remain at home or in a nursing facility and receive close observation while receiving Crisis Care. This level of care is evaluated on a day-to-day basis to determine necessity.