Facing end of life decisions can feel overwhelming. We’ve compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions about hospice and palliative care, as well as grieving the loss of a loved one, to help provide you with helpful information and resources during this difficult time.

• What is hospice care?
  
• Who provides hospice care?
  
• Is hospice care expensive?
  
• Where is hospice care provided?
  
• When should you consider hospice care?

• What is hospice care?

• Hospice care is a way of caring for patient in the advanced stages of any life-limiting illness. Hospice care focuses on the patient’s quality of life and providing patients and their family members with comfort and support. The goal of hospice care is to provide superior pain and symptom management so that patients can spend their last days living in a dignified manner that is most meaningful to them.
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• Who provides hospice care?

• Hospice care is provided by teams of specially trained professionals and volunteers. Our hospice care teams includes:

• Nurse case managers - Under the direction of a physician, nurse case managers provide pain and symptom management using the latest techniques and unique therapies.
  
• Home health aides - Home health aides help patients with their daily needs such as bathing, dressing, preparing meals and more.
  
• Social workers - The role of the social worker is to listen, counsel, and provide support concerning legal, social, and financial issues, such as insurance, living wills and food assistance.
  
• Chaplains - Chaplains are available to answer questions, counsel, and provide emotional and spiritual support to patients, their families and loved ones.
  
• Grief/bereavement counselors - Our comprehensive grief support program includes support groups, workshops, individual counseling and other resources. We also provide special counseling uniquely geared for youth and children.
  
• Volunteers - Community Hospices volunteers are specially trained to provide companionship and support to patients and family members. Volunteers can help in a variety of ways, such as running errands for the family and offering loved ones a much-needed break from care giving duties.
  
• On call team - We have on call teams available around the clock to answer questions, offer advice or to make a necessary visit to the patient’s home.
  
  · Pharmacists
  · Attending physicians
  · Hospice medical directors
  
  In addition to the core hospice team, we also have other specialists that can help address quality of life issues for our patients:
  
  · Physical therapists
  · Occupational therapists
  · Speech/language pathologists
  · Dieticians
  
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• Is hospice care expensive?

• No, hospice care is not expensive. Both Medicare and Medicaid provide excellent benefits for hospice, including the cost of all medications related to the hospice diagnosis. Most other insurance programs offer hospice benefits as well.

  Community Hospices is a nonprofit organization and treats all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. This is made possible through the generous support of many individuals and organizations.
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• Where is hospice care provided?

• Hospice care is typically provided in the patient’s home, family member’s home or nursing home. We can also offer patients the option of residing at the Washington Home which has a nine-bed hospice unit.
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• When should you consider hospice care?

• Hospice care should be considered when curative therapy is no longer a possibility or is failing to add to the patient’s quality of life. Generally hospice patients have a prognosis of six months or less to live. Hospice patients typically agree that their main goals are receiving comfort-oriented care and professional help to resolve important end of life emotional, spiritual, and financial issues.
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