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Understanding Hospice
"You matter to the last moment of your life, and we will do all we can, not only to help you die peacefully, but to live until you die."
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| Dame Cecily Saunders,
Founder of the modern hospice movement |
What is Hospice?
Hospice is a special way of caring for patients diagnosed with a terminal illness, when nothing more can be done to cure the disease. It allows patients to live life to the fullest and be in control of their life and to make choices concerning the care provided. The focus of hospice is to help patients to be as pain and symptom free as possible, so that they can enjoy life surrounded by loved ones. Hospice of Huntington delivers quality care in the patient's home, nursing home, assisted-living facility or at our very own Hospice House.
Dignity, Choice, Compassion
Hospice is not about how you die, but rather how you live. Hospice care helps patients and their families to make informed choices; provides companionship to patients and relief to caregivers; offers grief support, and serves as an information and referral service to identify key community resources that may be of assistance.
Hospice can help improve the quality of life at any age for someone with a terminal illness. While many hospice patients have cancer, hospice care includes such terminal diagnoses as end-stage heart, lung, kidney and/or liver disease; Parkinson's Disease; stroke, Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS); and Multiple Sclerosis.
Team Approach to Care
Our team of professional health care providers includes the hospice medical directors, nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers, grief support counselors, clergy and patient care volunteers, all of whom have specialized training in end-of-life issues. Through skilled, compassionate care, they strive to meet the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of patients and families.
At Hospice of Huntington, our 25 years' experience in caring for patients at the end of life has taught us that hospice care is most effective when it is begun early in a terminal diagnosis. That way, the patient and his or her family can fully benefit from the education, support and counseling services offered by the hospice team.
Programs and Services
Along with our unique approach to patient care for people of all ages diagnosed with a terminal illness, our programs and services include specialized support, such as emotional guidance and support before and after the death of a loved one. Camp Nabe, a bereavement camp for children held each year in late June, offers children ages 8-16 an opportunity to meet in a safe and accepting environment and to share their experiences with other children. The camp is free of charge to participants.
Payment
Hospice care services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans. Private pay is also accepted. Financial assistance is available for those who cannot afford to pay. Hospice services are available to anyone who needs them, regardless of their ability to pay. So often we hear from family members who say, "We wish we had called you sooner." Contact us at (304) 529-4217 or 1 (800) 788-5480 or by email at info@hospiceofhuntington.org as soon as you have questions or concerns about end-of-life care options.
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