What is Hospice Care?
Our Programs
What is Hospice Care?
Hospice care focuses on delivering compassionate assistance to patients and their families during challenging moments. It is not a final stage but rather an essential approach to ensure everyone involved feels at ease and well-attended to. Our hospice services are thoughtfully created to address all facets of care – pain management, emotional backing, and spiritual guidance are provided to ease discomfort and establish a positive experience..
Bluevine Hospice
Compassionate, no cost out of pocket care for life limiting illnesses
One of our hospice facility's many objectivess is to provide each patient with the opportunity to fully experience their remaining days. Our focus lies in enhancing their quality of life through our comprehensive care services. This is crucial because numerous studies have proven that hospice care can effectively alleviate symptoms, improve overall comfort, and extend valuable support to families. We emphasize what truly matters – fulfilling end-of-life desires, cherishing time with loved ones, and leaving an enduring impact. Our hospice care services are dedicated to upholding each patient's dignity while making every moment worthwhile.
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Palliative care or hospice care?
Palliative care and hospice care are both approaches to care for individuals with serious illnesses, but they differ in several ways.
Palliative care is a type of professional care that helps people with serious illnesses like cancer or heart disease. The goal is to improve their quality of life by relieving symptoms, pain, and stress. Palliative care can happen at any stage of the illness, and it can even be given alongside curative treatments. You can receive palliative care in a hospital, nursing home, or even in the comfort of your own home. It's all about making life better when times are tough.
Hospice care, on the other hand, is a specialized kind of palliative care meant for people in their last stages of a terminal illness. When there are no more curative treatments to try, hospice care enters the picture - it's all about making the patient feel comfortable and supported, with added attention for their loved ones during those final days, weeks, or months. Hospice care is adaptable, too, as it can be given in a hospital, nursing home, hospice facility, or even in the comfort of one's own home.
Our Programs
Care levels of hospice services
Did you know that hospice care has four different levels to meet the unique needs of patients and their families? Medicare defines these levels as routine home care, continuous home care, general inpatient care, and respite care. But what do these levels entail?
Routine home care
Get compassionate, expert hospice care right in the comfort of your own home. Or, if you prefer, in a nursing home or assisted living facility. You and your physician work hand-in-hand with hospice caregivers to improve your quality of life and manage symptoms and pain. By taking advantage of hospice at-home services, both you and your loved ones can ease the burden and enjoy more time together - research shows these services can even help prolong life.
Services:
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Our group includes the most compassionate professionals you can imagine – Certified Hospice and Palliative Care physicians, skilled Registered Nurses (RN), Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), trained Home Health Aides (HHA), experienced case managers, social workers, volunteers, and chaplains.
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Our experts can create a personalized care plan that caters specifically to your needs. Rest assured; we will take care of everything from ensuring your comfort to maintaining your dignity.
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Our durable medical equipment includes walkers, wheelchairs, commodes, oxygen tanks, and even hospital beds. We assess your needs and provide the right equipment for you.
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We provide all medications to help manage pain & symptoms.
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24/7 care and support
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Bereavement support for patients’ families
Our Programs
What are the Four Hospice Care Levels?
Continuous home care
Sometimes, when someone is receiving hospice care at home, they might need a little extra help managing their physical symptoms. In these cases, Continuous Care can be an option. In these cases, medical professionals will be available around the clock to help control severe pain or other symptoms. The goal is to keep you or your loved one comfortable and in their familiar surroundings, even during a crisis. If you're ever in a situation where your loved one needs more support, don't hesitate to consider Continuous Care.
We'll provide a qualified nurse to stay at the bedside, offering nursing care and medication management during this crucial time. Our goal is to achieve comfort as soon as possible and then develop a new plan of care that will allow your loved one to return to their regular routine of home care. If a medical emergency arises, our hospice physician or nurse may determine that general inpatient care is the best course of action to meet your loved one's needs
General inpatient care
If you or your loved one is experiencing extreme pain or other symptoms, they may require a higher level of care that is most efficiently provided in a hospice facility for General Inpatient Care. As their needs become more complex, the hospice staff may suggest moving them to a partnered inpatient care facility where medical professionals are available around the clock to provide more intensive nursing care.
Here, patients benefit from experienced providers who listen and advocate for them when friends and family can't be there. The goal of inpatient hospice care is to manage severe pain and symptoms, giving your loved one the best chance to return home to their family and familiar surroundings and resume their normal hospice care.
Are you or a loved one experiencing frequent medication adjustments to control uncomfortable symptoms? Perhaps uncontrollable seizures, restlessness, or agitation have become the norm. Or maybe there's been a sudden deterioration of condition, requiring more intensive care. These are all indications that you may require General Inpatient Care. Additionally, if you're struggling to manage chronic or acute symptoms at home, or need intravenous medications with close monitoring for pain relief, it may be time to seek more specialized care. Complex wound care and minor procedures to aid patient comfort are also signs that you could benefit from General Inpatient Care. Don't suffer alone – seek the care you need to feel your best.
Respite care
Taking care of a loved one suffering from an advanced disease can be exhausting. As family members or primary caregivers, it's important to recognize when you need a break. That's where respite care comes in. It's a temporary type of hospice care that allows family caregivers to take some time off and prioritize their own well-being. Think of it as a scheduled window of time to recharge without worrying about your loved one's immediate needs.
Did you know that Medicare can cover up to 5 days of skilled respite care? This can be done on an occasional basis, and it can be provided in either the patient’s own home or an inpatient facility. If the patient needs round-the-clock care, respite care is only provided in a Medicare-certified hospice facility, hospital, or skilled nursing facility that offers constant nursing support. So, if you're feeling overwhelmed, take comfort in knowing that options are available to help you and your loved ones.
We encourage you to speak with our Patient Care Coordinator or your Registered Nurse to discuss the respite level of care. Caring for a loved one with a terminal illness is challenging, and taking advantage of all the resources available is important to ensure that both the patient and their caregivers receive the support they need.
Deciding on the right level of care
We understand that deciding on the correct level of hospice care can be tough, but we're here to help. Our friendly nurses will conduct a thorough evaluation to determine the best level of hospice care for you. Alternatively, consider speaking to your physician or a visiting hospice caregiver to gain valuable advice regarding which option would work best for you or your family member.
Helpful Information
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What is Hospice Care?
In short, hospice care provides compassionate comfort for individuals with a terminal illness rather than focusing on finding a cure. It's important to note that hospice care is typically recommended for people with a prognosis of six months or less, as determined by their physician. At its core, hospice care is all about providing comfort and support during a difficult time.
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What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is a form of compassionate comfort care aimed at relieving the physical and mental symptoms of severe or life-limiting illnesses. This form of care is essential at all stages of an illness, whether during diagnosis, curative treatment, follow-up, or at the end of life. With palliative care, patients can receive the relief and support they need to improve their quality of life, no matter what challenges they may be facing.
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Eligibility for palliative and hospice care
Hospice care is available for patients with a life expectancy of six months or less if their illness follows its natural progression. Certification from two physicians is required to ensure that patients who need this level of care receive it. However, if you or your loved one needs support earlier than that, palliative care is available at any time. Both you and your physician can make that decision based on your unique circumstances, regardless of the stage of your illness.
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Facility care teams
Interdisciplinary teams leading the way in hospice and palliative care provide comprehensive assistance to individuals and their families. These empathetic teams cater to various requirements, encompassing physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
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Charges
During times of difficulty for you or your loved one, hospice care provides comprehensive assistance, fully funded by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance policies. This type of care encompasses more than just the financial aspects of medical treatments. It includes provisions for medications, medical equipment, 24/7 access to healthcare, nursing staff, social services, spiritual guidance, bereavement support, and other essential offerings based on the hospice organization's discretion. Conversely, palliative care costs may vary according to the specific services needed.
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Care locations
Hospice offers empathetic end-of-life assistance and encouragement to you or your loved ones in a cozy, familiar setting. This compassionate care can be experienced in the comfort of one's own home or in a hospice residence designed to feel welcoming and homelike. Additionally, our services extend to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, veterans' centers, hospitals, and various healthcare establishments.