What is Hospice?

Hospice is a philosophy of special compassionate care that reaches beyond the spectrum of treatment for disease or disorders.

Hospice is a positive option for those who are nearing the end of life, when curative measures and treatments are no longer viable or desired.

Hospice care is a way to maximize one’s quality of life, up to the last moment.

We believe that death is a natural part of the cycle of life, and we believe that every human has the right to die with dignity, as pain-free as possible, and in a place of their choosing, surrounded by loved ones as the patient desires.

We do not hasten nor postpone death. We simply provide the care and support needed to honor the individual’s choices.

Our care employs a holistic approach that includes physical, emotional and spiritual care for the patient and the entire family, offered by a coordinated team of professionals and volunteers.

The professional team includes:

• the patient’s own primary care physician
• our medical director
• registered nurses – all of whom are nationally certified in hospice and palliative care
• certified nursing assistants
• social workers
• physical therapist
• speech therapist
• occupational therapist
• nutritionist
• music therapist
• chaplain
• volunteer coordinator
• certified bereavement counselors

When volunteers are requested, we have a roster of more than 150 dedicated individuals who willingly respond to any need.

Hospice Care treats the family as one unit, assessing the needs of each individual and of the group as a whole. Family dynamics are central to the care plan, and the Hospice Care team considers those relationships when caring for the dying person.

Hospice Care is provided in the home of the patient, in familiar surroundings and with family close at hand. It makes no difference where the person lives – house, apartment, assisted living residence, nursing home or any other place the person calls “home.”

Hospice is NOT:
A last resort
A place to go to die
A way to hasten death
A way to postpone death
A way to prolong life
An indication that you have given up