What is Hospice Care?

“You matter because of who you are. You matter to the last moment of your life, and we will do all we can, not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.” — Dame Cicely Saunders

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What is Hospice?

Focusing on improving the quality of life and not a cure, hospice attempts to ease the emotional, spiritual and physical pain often associated with a terminal illness. 

With a philosophy of compassion and dignity, hospice utilizes a team of healthcare professionals and volunteers who provide ongoing support for both the family and the patient.

Included with Hospice

Additional equipment is often provided to increase the comfort and quality of the patient's life, according to each individual diagnosis.

​We provide durable medical equipment and comfort supplies such as oxygen, wheelchairs, specialty beds, mattresses, and Broda chairs. 

Payments

Payments are based on the patients health care needs, not their ability to pay.  Hospice care is covered by Medicare and Medicaid or private insurances. Room and board will continue to be paid through Medicaid or private insurance through the facility. 
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​​Hospice patients who are enrolled in Medicare will find that their hospice care is fully covered by the Medicare Hospice Benefit. The Massachusetts Medicaid Hospice Benefit and most private insurance plans also covers hospice care.

Hospice care is a mandated benefit for all insurance companies in Massachusetts, but if you or your loved one does not have insurance a sliding scale or free care is also an option.

​We will never turn anyone away for an inability to pay.

When to choose Hospice

The decision to stop curative treatment and choose hospice is never easy. There are barriers that need to be surmounted because of the negative image that some people hold regarding hospice. Even doctors have difficulty with this decision since they must acknowledge the same realities you do. Therefore, it often comes down to the patient and family to make the decision and initiate hard conversations about end-of-life care.

Here are some Basic Guidelines to Help You Decide When the Right Time is

When curative treatment no longer makes sense, both the patient and family deserves to feel at ease. Often times, working on extending life through treatment causes people to die earlier than providing comfort measures. This is because of the many painful side effects of curative treatment.

When the emphasis of treatment changes to comfort, symptom control and enhancing quality of life.

Hospice care is for patients who have terminal illness which is anticipated to result in a life expectancy of six months or less