What is Hospice Care? |
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Our
Mission The mission of Willamette Valley Hospice is to enhance the quality of life for terminally ill persons and their families, to provide bereavement support for the caregivers and families of our patients and members of the community, and to educate the community about end of life philosophy and programs. |
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1.) What is hospice care and how is the care provided? Hospice care is a special kind of compassionate care for people during the last months of life when medical treatment can no longer cure the disease. This special care provides a team-managed approach offering physical, spiritual and emotional support that focuses on the individual patient and their families. Hospice professionals can provide significant support to control pain, reduce anxiety and provide medical, emotional and spiritual comfort to both patients and their families. Hospice care takes place, whenever possible, within the patient's own home; hospice staff visits the patient regularly to provide services and to teach caregivers how to help their loved one. Hospice services cover a wide spectrum of care including pain management, personal counseling, pharmaceuticals, and speech and occupational therapies. At Willamette Valley Hospice, registered nurses are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for phone support and case management. 2.) Who is eligible for hospice care? Hospice care is appropriate when a patient has a life expectancy of six months or less. While patients must have a doctor's referral to enter hospice care, the patient, family and friends can initiate the process by contacting a local hospice program. To receive hospice care from Willamette Valley Hospice a patient must live within the communities of Marion and Polk counties or a 35-mile radius of Salem, Oregon. 3.) Can a hospice patient who shows signs of recovery be returned to regular treatment?Certainly, if the patient's condition improves and the disease seems to be in remission, the patient can choose to leave hospice care and return to aggressive therapy. 4.) Where does hospice care take place?Although most hospice patients are cared for at home, others may live in nursing homes, assisted living homes or nursing home facilities. Willamette Valley Hospice staff provide hospice care wherever a patient calls home. 5.) How does hospice care provide comfort for patients through distressing symptoms?Our role, in providing comfort-based hospice care, is to maximize the patient's quality of life regardless of his their condition. We focus on pain control and symptom management by educating patients and families so that they can make their own decisions regarding visitations, services, use of pain medications, counseling and other hospice services. We provide patients and families with the knowledge they need to minimize the patient's discomfort. 6.) How is Hospice Care paid for? Hospice is a benefit of Medicare and many insurance plans. Because hospice care is more cost-efficient then lengthy hospital stays, many private insurance companies, health maintenance organizations and other managed care plans include coverage for hospice services. However with the support of community funds and general donations, Willamette Valley Hospice accepts and serves all patients regardless of ability to pay.
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