Hospice
Ridgeview's hospice service brings a care team to wherever “home” may be to enhance the quality of life for you and your loved ones during this final journey of life.
Hospice focuses on caring, not curing. The goal of this service is to help people who are dying feel peace, comfort and dignity. The care team works to control pain and other symptoms so a person can remain as alert and comfortable as possible. Ridgeview's hospice program also provides services to support a patient’s family, including bereavement support.
Learn more about Ridgeview's hospice service.
Ridgeview’s Hospice Team
Ridgeview’s comprehensive hospice team includes:
- Patient and family
- Patient’s physician
- Hospice medical director
- Nurses
- Social workers
- Hospice aides for personal care
- Pharmacists
- Chaplain
- Music therapy
- Massage therapy
- Trained hospice volunteers
Hospice Care Locations
- Patient's home
- Family member’s home
- Assisted living facility
- Skilled care nursing facility
- Residential hospice home
When is Hospice Care Provided?
Hospice often is not started soon enough. Hospice care treats the person rather than the disease, working to manage symptoms so that a person’s last days may be spent with dignity and quality, surrounded by their loved ones. Sometimes the doctor, patient or family member will resist hospice because they think it means “giving up” or that there’s no hope. This is not true. A patient can leave hospice and go into active treatment any time it is necessary.
Pain and symptom control can help patients be more comfortable while allowing them to stay in control of and enjoy their life.
Discomfort, pain, nausea and other side effects can be managed to make sure patients feel as good as possible, yet stay alert enough to enjoy the people around them and make important decisions.
Hospice brings quality of life, making the best of each day during the last stages of advanced illness.
If treatment isn’t working anymore and you have no other treatment options, ask your doctor or a member of your care team about hospice.
Bereavement Care
Experiencing and anticipating grief are a natural part of the dying experience. Ridgeview's hospice program provides emotional and spiritual support for the family for one year following the death of a loved one.
Home Medical Equipment
Ridgeview's hospice service provides in-home medical equipment and supplies to aid in caring for a loved one at home.
Paying for Hospice
Hospice is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance plans. Please refer to your individual plan for coverage details and benefits.
Resources
The documentary below was produced by Frontline and provides viewers with the perspective of when it is time to begin discussing hospice care during the course of treating a patient with a terminal illness. It is provided as a resource with permission from Frontline.
Frontline Being Mortal
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