About Caring Hands Hospice:
Mission Statement:
 The mission of Caring Hands Hospice, Inc. is to provide support that enables the
terminally ill to spend their final days in a pain free and dignified home
environment.
Caring Hands Hospice is an affiliate of Approve Home Medical Services and is
locally owned and operated. Our current service area includes Independence,
Sharp, and Randolph Counties. We have offices in Batesville and Cherokee
Village.
What is hospice?
Hospice is a type of care which involves a core interdisciplinary team of
professionals and volunteers who provide medical, psychological, and spiritual
support for the terminally ill and assistance to their families. Focused on pain
management and symptom control, the care is primarily based in the home,
enabling families to remain together in peace, comfort, and dignity. Hospice
does not provide 24 hour caregivers for the patient, but offer their support and
intermittent visits from the hospice care team.
What are the advantages of hospice?
Hospice treats the person, instead of the disease; focuses on the family,
instead of just the individual; and emphasizes the quality of life, instead of
quantity. Hospice care allows terminally ill patients and their families to
experience the end of life together, in the comfort and security of home or a
home-like setting.
What services are provided?
Medicare-certified hospices are required to provide nursing care; social
services; physician services; counseling services (including spiritual and
dietary); home care aide and homemaker services; bereavement services; physical
and occupational therapies; and speech-language pathology service. Inpatient
respite care and general inpatient care are covered if pre-approved by the
hospice. Medical equipment, supplies and medications used to treat symptoms of
terminal illness are also available. The range of hospice services may vary from
program to program.
Services may be provided in the patients home, assisted living facilities, and
nursing homes. Hospice staff and nursing home staff work together to assure that
the patient’s needs are met and is pain/symptom free.
Who is eligible?
A person is eligible for hospice under the Medicare Hospice Benefit once he or
she is certified by a physician as having a terminal illness with a life
expectancy of six months or less. Hospice is available to all terminally ill
individuals and their families regardless of their age, gender, race,
nationality, creed, sexual orientation, physical condition, availability of
primary caregiver, or ability to pay. Hospice is not only for patients who have
cancer. Conditions such as heart disease, end stage lung disease, Alzheimer’s
disease, ALS, and liver disease are also common conditions which may require
hospice services. Many private insurances also have hospice coverage.
Who pays for hospice care?
Hospice services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, and most private
insurance companies. Hospices rely on community contributions to be able to
provide care to patients who do not have a payer source. Many private insurances
also have hospice coverage.
Services
The Hospice Team:
The patient's care team consists of visiting team members who provide care to
the patient and family. The team works together to coordinate and provide the
patient with quality care and services.
Primary Caregiver:
Primary caregiver refers to someone who will be designated as the person who
will provide the most in home support for the patient. Most hospice patients
will require a primary caregiver who lives in the home. This may be family,
friends, or a paid caregiver. The caregiver is a part of the team. He/she will
receive support services according to needs. He/she may also be included in
discussions related to the patient's care.
Attending physician:
The attending physician is the patients primary physician. The attending
physician along with the hospice medical director must certify that the patient
is terminally ill. The hospice medical director can also visit the patient and
family and is available for consultation with the attending physician. The role
of the Hospice Medial Director is as follows:
- Oversees the hospice program and services
- Participates in IDG meeting every 2 wks for discussion of each hospice patient
- Certifies patient medical eligibility for hospice care
- Assists in developing the Plan of Care as needed
- Provides direct medical care as needed to patients in their homes, nursing
homes, and hospitals
- Is available for medical education/consultation of physicians and nurses in
pain and symptom management
Registered Nurses:
The registered nurse will evaluate the patient for hospice services and
implement/coordinate care in the home. Nursing services include:
- Regular scheduled visits
- Pain control/symptom management
- 24-hour on-call availability
- Assessing/ordering medical equipment, medications, and supplies
- Patient and family education
- Assistance with arrangements after death
- Home Health Aides
- The home health aide is an important part of the health care team. The home care
aide is usually in the home more than other staff members. They can assist with
personal care, light housekeeping, meal preparation, and provide respite care
for the family/primary caregiver.
Social Workers:
The social worker will visit the patient shortly after admission to hospice
care. They can provide counseling regarding the dying process. Other ways in
which a social worker may help include addressing family problems, assisting
with long range planning, communicating with other care team members, and estate
planning. The social may also provide bereavement counseling after the patient’s
death if necessary.
Spiritual Care:
Spiritual care is available upon request to support and encourage both patients
and families as they deal with issues around life and death. The chaplains work
with patients of all faiths, including those with no religious affiliation. In
addition, chaplains are ready to serve as resource and liaisons to patients'
choice of a particular faith community.
Volunteers:
Volunteers are the heart of the hospice team. They are people from within the
community who volunteer their services to support and assist hospice agencies
and their patients. Volunteers may provide in home care such as sitting with or
reading to the patient. They may also assist the family with meal preparation,
shopping, errands, etc. All volunteers must complete a training course which is
offered on an as needed basis. Anyone interested in becoming a hospice volunteer
should contact the hospice office.
Bereavement Support
The hospice provides a bereavement program for 13 months after the death of the
patient. The hospice provides grief literature, phone calls, counseling, cards,
and even home visits as needed if requested by the family.
Donations:
Gifts and donations may be made to Caring Hands Hospice in memory of deceased
patients or to honor living persons. Donations may be monetary or any item which
can be used by hospice patients such as medical equipment, personal care items,
etc. For more information on donations, please contact us.
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