UNDER CONSTRUCTION

HOSPICE BASICS
    Brought to you by Spencer County Hospice, Inc.

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Many residents of Spencer County know little about hospice.  The reason for this is very understandable.  Hospice deals with people who are dying, and who wants to think about THAT?!
The truth is, most people don’t think about hospice or dying until a doctor gives them a terminal diagnosis or a recommendation for hospice.  At that point people are usually distraught (and rightfully so), and it is difficult to process information given, let alone make a decision about hospice.
In this article will explain what hospice is and how it can help a family facing this most difficult time.
Hospice provides care and support for terminally ill persons and their families throughout the process of illness, death and bereavement.  One of the main goals of hospice is to allow the dying person to live as fully and comfortably as possible.   Hospice does not attempt to cure a person, but provides aggressive palliative (pain and other symptom control) care.
Hospice is primarily a philosophy of care, and not a place.  Most hospice patients remain in their own homes.  It uses a holistic approach in which the patient and family members are urged to help with the patient’s care as much as possible. Patients and families are encouraged to participate in planning the patient’s care.  This allows each family’s unique needs (physical, social, psychological and spiritual) to be met.
Hospice care is provided by an interdisciplinary team of professionals and volunteers who are specially trained to guide and support patients and families during this difficult time.  The hospice team consists of physicians, (patients are not required to change doctors, their private physicians continue to provide care for them), nurses, social workers, spiritual caregivers, counselors, therapists, and volunteers.
The mission statement of Spencer County Hospice States: “The mission of Spencer County Hospice is to provide high-quality physical, social, spiritual and emotional care for terminally ill people and their families that promotes comfort, enhances quality of life and meets the unique needs of each client/family through the process of illness, death and bereavement.”
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Our last article concentrated on explaining what hospice is - a way to care for terminally ill patients  to allow them to live as fully and comfortably as possible.  Services are also provided to family and friends.
  This article will focus on what services are provided by hospice and who is eligible to receive those services.
Services provided by hospice are many and varied. All services are provided after first obtaining the approval of the patient’s doctor.
Services provided by nurses include physical assessment, medication management, wound care and serving as liaison between the patient and his doctor.  Regularly scheduled visits are made to the client by the nurses.  The frequency of the visits is agreed upon by the nurse and the patient based on the patient’s needs.  At Spencer County Hospice our registered nurses also provide physical care (bathing, skin care, dressing, etc.).  We also have a registered nurse on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  The on call nurse is available by phone to answer any questions or make visits as necessary between scheduled visits.
Medical social services and counseling services are offered on a regularly scheduled basis. The medical social worker accesses the patient and family to discover any social needs not being met and to find assistance to meet those needs.  Counseling services are offered to help meet any spiritual needs of the patient and family.
Other services available from hospice include therapies (physical, occupational, speech), medications, medical supplies and equipment, and respite care.  These services and items are obtained by the hospice at no cost to the patients. The need for these items must be related to the client’s terminal diagnosis.  Also provided by hospice is the cost of doctor visits.
Respite care is also an important service provided by hospice.  Respite care can consist of a volunteer staying with a patient for a few hours all the way to the patient entering a skilled nursing facility for a few days.
Respite care allows caregivers to have some time to take care of themselves.  They can take a nap, visit with friends go shopping attend a wedding out of town, or what ever they need. 
Who is eligible for hospice care?  A common misconception about hospice is that a person  must have cancer to be eligible.  This not true.  Any one with any terminal illness and a life expectancy of six months or less can benefit from hospice.  It is not necessary to be homebound or unable to drive to be eligible.  Many people with hospice care leave their home regularly.
Spencer County Hospice is truly blessed with a large, active network of lay and professional volunteers.  Our next article will focus on the role of the hospice volunteer.
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Our last article focused on what services are provided by hospice and who is eligible to receive those services.  In this article we will explain the role of the hospice volunteer.
provide is respite services.  Volunteers go to patient’s homes and stay for several hours at a time.  They provide many services while in the home, including shopping, running errands, cooking a meal, reading a book or talking with the  Hospice volunteers are well trained and provide an invaluable service to hospice clients.
One of the primary services hospice volunteers client, or just “being there”.   Some personal care tasks are provided by volunteers such as assisting with meals, assistance with going to the bathroom, and helping with position changes for immobile patients.  The services provided are based on the needs of the patient and his family.
By using hospice volunteer respite services care givers are able to have some time to themselves.  By scheduling volunteer hours ahead of time and in blocks, care givers can make plans with friends, take a nap, go shopping, work in their yard, or do whatever they want or need to.  This makes care giving easier and helps relieve the stress that often goes along with it.  Volunteers also provide services that are not “patient direct”.  These services include office work, help with fundraising, serving on our board of directors, and numerous other tasks.  
At Spencer County Hospice we are truly blessed with our network of volunteers.  We have over 15 trained volunteers throughout the county who give freely of their time.  Our volunteers receive 12 hours of training upon becoming a volunteer, and inservice education continues as long as they are a part of Spencer County Hospice.  We also have several professional volunteers.  Our social workers, counselors, and medical director are all volunteers.  We also have several nurses that volunteer for us.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for Spencer County Hospice, please call the office.
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In this article we will explain how hospice services are paid for.  With the cost of medical care rapidly increasing and insurance costs also rising paying for medical care is a real concern for most people.
The cost of hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid (in Indiana) and many insurance companies.  These payment sources reimburse hospices at a set amount for each day a patient is enrolled in the hospice program.  The hospice then pays for all medications, treatments, equipment, etc. required to maintain comfort and the best quality of life possible for the patient.  Occasionally the cost of treatment exceeds the reimbursement amount, causing some hospices to refuse to cover certain expensive treatments, or to refuse to admit some patients to their programs at all.
At Spencer County Hospice we admit all qualified patients, regardless of the cost of their treatments, or if they have the ability to pay for hospice care or not. 
We are a not-for-profit organization and receive funds from United Way and from our generous community in the form of donations, memorial gifts and grants.  Another very important reason Spencer County Hospice is able to provide services to all qualified patients is our volunteers.  We have many professional and lay volunteers who selflessly donate their valuable time to our patients.  This allows us to provide care to our patients whether they have insurance coverage or not.
Spencer County Hospice will be holding the annual Walk-A-Thon on Sunday, September 30 at Rockport City Park.  Registration and walk will begin an 1:00PM.  Free picnic lunch will be served for all participants after the Walk.  Please plan to attend, sponsor a walker, or support this important cause.