FAQs

Hospice Care is a service for people with serious illnesses who choose not to get (or continue) treatment to cure or control their illness. People may choose to enroll in hospice care if the treatment is unlikely to be effective or if continuing it has become too burdensome. Hospice aims to provide comfort and peace to help improve quality of life for the person nearing death. It also helps family members cope with their loved one’s illness and can also provide support to the family after the person dies. Hospice care can be provided in a private home, a nursing home, or an assisted living home.

Anyone with a serious illness who doctors think has a short time to live — generally 6 months or less —usually qualifies for hospice care. For Medicare to pay for hospice care, patients must stop medical treatment intended to cure or control their illness. A few examples of serious illnesses include Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Despite the benefits of using hospice care, many people wait to receive hospice care until the final weeks or days of life. Making the decision to begin hospice care is not giving up. It’s important to talk with your doctor about your illness and how your disease is progressing. Starting hospice early for your loved one may be able to provide months of meaningful care and quality time with loved ones. You will be helping them live their remaining days to the fullest, increasing their quality of life, allowing them to stay close to loved ones, and helping manage their most challenging symptoms. Often times we hear, “I wish we would’ve called you sooner”.

Hospice can be covered under Medicaid, Medicare, and some private insurances.

Hospice is comfort care without curative intent; the patient no longer has curative options or has chosen not to pursue treatment because the side effects outweigh the benefits. Palliative care is comfort care with or without curative intent.

Anyone can refer someone to hospice services a friend, your doctor, a loved one. It's not necessary to have a doctor's referral to go to hospice – which means the patient can even refer themselves.

Yes, we are. We have a CHAP seal of accreditation. CHAP Accreditation demonstrates this organization meets the industry’s highest nationally recognized Hospice standards. The rigorous evaluation by CHAP focuses on structure and function, quality of services and products, human and financial resources and long-term viability. Adherence to CHAP’s Standards leads to better quality care. Organizations that achieve CHAP Accreditation have also been deemed to meet the Medicare Conditions of Participation and is certified as a Medicare provider.