What Is Hospice?
Hospice care provides medical services, emotional support, and spiritual resources for people who are in the last stages of a terminal illness, such as heart disease, dementia related illness, cancer and more. We also help family members manage the practical details and emotional challenges of caring for a dying loved one.
Why choose In-House Hospice & Palliative Care?
The goal of In-House Hospice & Palliative Care is to keep you comfortable and improve your quality of life while you are dying. This philosophy is a shift from usual medical treatments, in which health professionals strive to cure diseases. In-House Hospice & Palliative Care services are not intended to speed up or prolong the dying process, but focus instead on relieving pain and other symptoms. Our team of professional caregivers are concerned with enhancing the quality of remaining life by keeping you as alert and comfortable as possible in a familiar environment with family and friends.
In-House Hospice & Palliative Care offers services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in your own home or in a hospice center. We also offer services in skilled nursing facilities, assisted-living residences, and hospitals.
What kind of services do we provide?
In-House Hospice & Palliative Care's services generally include:
- Basic medical care with a focus on pain and symptom control
- Medical supplies and equipment as needed
- Counseling and social support to help you and your family with psychological, emotional, and spiritual issues
- Guidance with the difficult, but normal, issues of life completion and closure
- A break (respite care) for caregivers, family, and others who regularly care for you
- Volunteer support such as meal preparation or errand running
- Counseling and support for loved ones after you die
In addition to your In-House Hospice & Palliative Care team, who else is involved with providing your care?
Most of the time, hospice care is provided in your home. A family member or loved one will generally look after you much of the time. And someone from our team will visit you for an hour or so three or more times a week. Your loved ones will work with our hospice team to give you the best care possible.
In-House Hospice & Palliative Care teams include a doctor and nurses, social workers, spiritual advisors, nursing assistants, and trained volunteers. We may also include pharmacists, psychologists, respiratory therapists, psychiatrists, music therapists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. If you have an emergency or feel uncomfortable, you can call our 24-hour hospice number for advice. When necessary, a nurse will come to your home at any time of the day or night.
Some people worry about losing touch with their regular, trusted doctor. However, being on hospice does not mean that you won't see your regular doctor. Our medical director and staff will work with your physician to ensure that they stay involved in your care.
