Hospice Care Provides Guidance and Assistance |
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Often people think that hospice is a place, but it is primarily a philosophy of providing care. The goals of hospice care are to keep the patient as comfortable as possible and provide support to the family in caring for their loved one. Hospice also provides bereavement services to the family. Hospice staff provides intermittent visits to the home to support the family in providing the care. While most hospice care is provided in the patient's home, hospice can also provide care to patients in assisted living and nursing homes. In Northern Virginia there is a small inpatient hospice unit, but stays are usually quite short for reasons such as pain management or respite care. Medicare, Medicaid and many health insurance policies have a benefit for hospice care. A physician order is required, and hospice care is appropriate when there is a limited life expectancy and the patient is not seeking treatment toward cure. Hospice has developed guidelines to help determine the dementia patient's appropriateness for their care. The Northern Virginia Chapter can direct families to the Hospice agencies within our Chapter territory. If you have questions or need further information, please call our Helpline at 703-359-4440 or 800-207-8679. Resources for families available through the Chapter: Care for Advanced Alzheimer's Disease (brochure), Alzheimer's Association Ethical Considerations: Issues in Death and Dying (tip sheet), Alzheimer's Association Hard Choices for Loving People: CPR, Artificial Feeding Tubes and the Nursing Home Home Resident, by Hank Dunn; 1994; 48pp. (Discussion of the use of life-prolonging medical procedures) Managing Grief and Bereavement, by Edna L. Ballard, ACSW; 25pp.; softcover There are also several books available in the Chapter library which address hospice care and end of life decisions. In the Northern Virginia Chapter Service Area, for more information about benefits of Hospice Care, please contact the Chapter's telephone Helpline at 703-359-4440 or 800-207-8679. Outside Northern Virginia, please contact your local Chapter.
Last updated: April 25, 1999
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