Hospice is not just health care, it’s whole care.
Hospice is not a place. It’s a concept of care.
When a cure is no longer possible, we help shift the focus to a new kind of hope for both patient and family. Hope now is for comfort, quality of life, and peace. Our goal is to enhance quality of life by keeping patients as alert and comfortable as possible in a familiar environment with family and friends.
The majority of hospice care is provided in the patient’s home, the home of a loved one, or in a contracted nursing home or assisted living facility. Specially trained medical professionals deliver care with a goal of reducing a patient’s pain and controlling their symptoms, resulting in improved quality of remaining life. Hospice care also includes support for the emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and their loved ones.
Hospice offers a unique package of services to help meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients and their families. Services are provided by a professional staff consisting of a variety of roles. Hospice team members visit according to a plan of care established for each individual patient based on their needs and wishes, and registered nurses are available 24 hours per day, seven days a week to respond to changes in the patient’s condition.
Hospice recognizes that a serious illness affects the entire family as well as the person who is ill. The family, not just the patient, is the “unit of care” for hospice professionals. Sometimes other family members actually need more attention than the patient.
We provide one of four levels of care depending on the needs of the patient and family.
Routine Home Care
Our team provides visits as needed to wherever a patient calls home: a private residence, assisted living, supportive care home, or skilled nursing facility.
Respite Care
When caregivers need a break, patients may stay up to 5 days at a time at one of several local nursing facilities who partner with us to provide quality respite care.We still provide the same level of support as if the patient were at home. Multiple respite stays may be provided throughout the course of hospice care if needed by the caregivers.
Continuous Home Care
For patients experiencing a medical crisis, we will stay as long as necessary, providing one-on-one care until symptoms are under control.Nurses and/or home health aides provide up to 24 hours of continuous care per day as appropriate to manage symptoms.
Inpatient Care
If in the unusual circumstance that continuous care at home is not an option for patients experiencing a medical crisis, we are able to assist you in placing your loved one in a hospice in-patient unit.
In addition, we provide grief and loss support.
People have mixed and complicated emotions that can be difficult to understand and accept. Each of us responds differently to loss, but the more you learn about grief, the better you are able to recognize it and address its many symptoms and causes.
We can help by providing grief education and support to anyone who has lost a loved one. Support is available free of charge to anyone in the community and hospice affiliation is not necessary. Support can be provided at our office, at your local hospital or care community, or by phone.
Individual sessions and grief support groups focus on support and education rather than a particular therapeutic method. If further counseling or support is needed, referrals will be made to an appropriate counselor or agency. Reading materials on the topic of grief are available.
“Being the #1 Hospice organization in Ohio is something special and so is the group that makes up the Hospice Care of Middletown family. The rating is no surprise to me, after experiencing first hand the love and care given by every single individual sent to comfort our family.”
~ R.W. Family
Now is the best time to learn more about hospice. Although end-of-life care may be difficult to discuss, it is best for family members to share their wishes long before it becomes a concern. This can greatly reduce stress when the time for hospice is needed. By having these discussions in advance, patients are not forced into uncomfortable situations. Instead, patients can make an educated decision that includes the advice and input of family members and loved ones.
Call (513) 424-2273 now to speak with a Hospice Care of Middletown staff member.
Who is eligible for Hospice Care?
The patient’s physician and the hospice’s Medical Director must certify that the patient has a life-limiting illness with a life expectancy of six months or less should the disease run its normal course. The patient chooses to receive comfort care for pain and symptom management rather than curative treatment and agrees with the philosophy of allowing death to occur naturally without extraordinary intervention. The patient will make arrangements for a capable caregiver, and reside in the geographic area served by the desired hospice.
What does hospice care cost?
MEDICARE and MEDICAID programs and most private health insurance plans offer a comprehensive Hospice Benefit. In addition to professional services, the cost for medications, routine medical supplies, durable medical equipment, and medically necessary procedures related to the hospice diagnosis are also covered.