What is hospice?
It's a special kind of caring for persons with life limiting illnesses and their families that:
Treats the physical needs of the patient and his or her emotional and spiritual needs.
Takes place in the patient's home, or in their permanent residence.
Concentrates on making patients as comfortable and free of pain as possible so they can make the most of the time that remains to them.
Considers helping family members an essential part of its mission.
Believes the quality of life to be as important as the length of life. More than a million patients and their families have utilized the services of hospice nationwide.
Many surviving family members have said, "I don't know what I would have done without hospice." And many credit it with helping make their final days with loved ones warm and memorable.
Why hospice?
Because no one wants to die alone in a sterile, impersonal surrounding, hooked up by tubes to machines and cut off from family and friends and all that's familiar. Nor does anyone like to die in pain. If possible, it's better to spend the last days at home, alert and free of pain, among the people and things that are loved. HomeCare Matters Hospice hopes to increase the significance of a terminally ill patient's remaining days through the provision of an umbrella of services including physical, emotional, and spiritual support, medications for symptom management, as well as medical equipment and supplies necessary for care.
What services are provided?
A team of physicians, nurses, social workers, home health aides, chaplains, counselors and specially trained volunteers provide caring services to the patient and their family to:
*Manage pain and symptoms of illness
*Provide availability of on-call nursing 24-hours a day
*Educate caregivers
*Assist with personal care
*Assist in obtaining equipment, supplies and medication
*Provide spiritual support
*Provide help in accessing needed community resources
*Offer the assistance of trained volunteers who provide respite opportunities for caregivers of patients and may provide other support such as assistance with errands, transportation and friendly visits.
*Provide ongoing support of family for grief recovery
Who is eligible for Hospice?
Hospice services are available based on the following criteria:
The patient must live in our geographical service area.
The patient must have a life expectancy of six months or less.
The patient and family must be aware of the patient's prognosis and no longer be seeking life-prolonging measures.
There must be a responsible person available to give care in the home, or a person who plans to do so when care is needed.
The attending physician must be in agreement with the Hospice concept and willing to participate with the patient's Hospice care program.
What about cost?
HomeCare Matters Home Health and Hospice is a not-for-profit organization, and costs are based on services used. Care can be paid for completely or partially by:
Medicare Medicaid
Private Pay Insurance
