What is hospice care?

Hospice care is compassionate end-of-life care for people facing a life-limiting illness or injury. Hospice care involves a team-oriented approach to expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support tailored to a patient’s needs. An interdisciplinary care team includes board-certified hospice and palliative care physicians, hospice-certified nurses and personal care specialists (state tested nursing assistants), social workers, chaplains, bereavement counseling professionals, and volunteers. The care team energetically works together to support both the patient and the family.

Where is hospice care provided?

The hospice team provides care in the comfort of the patient’s home, extended care facility or assisted living center. Patients also can receive care in a hospital or one of our Hospice Houses. At Ohio’s Hospice, our mission is to celebrate the lives of those we have the privilege of serving by providing superior care and superior services to each patient and family.

What are the benefits of hospice care?

Hospice patients benefit from a team of caregivers who help the patient choose the care they want. Family members are involved in patient care and decision-making. The hospice team supports both patients and families so that the patient’s choices are honored.  Click here for some questions to consider when trying to decide whether hospice is a good choice for someone with a life-limiting illness.

How does hospice care work?

When a patient with a life-limiting illness or injury decides that curative measures are no longer appropriate, effective or desirable, hospice care becomes a compassionate, dignified and beneficial option for end-of-life care.

The patient receives care wherever they call home. Family and friends function as the patient’s primary caregivers. Each of our team members visit our patients on a regular basis and guides them, their caregivers and families through the process of the terminal illness or condition.

The patient’s primary care physician continues to provide care for non-hospice related conditions and collaborates with our medical director and hospice team on hospice care issues. The hospice medical director assists in the development of the patient’s hospice plan of care and approves any changes made to the plan by the hospice team.

Hospice care is covered by Medicare and most private insurers. Ohio’s Hospice does not bill a patient for any services not covered by these payers.

Hospice care services are available on a 24/7/365 basis. We stand side-by-side with our patients and their families during their entire stay under our hospice care.

Deciding when to call hospice is difficult, but those who have used our services often say they wish they had the benefit of hospice care earlier. Here are some things to consider  when trying to decide when to call hospice.