Choosing Hospice does not mean that you are giving up hope. It means that you have decided that cure-oriented treatments are no longer effective and instead have opted for treatments that will help manage various medical symptoms, including pain so that you can be comfortable and have control over your life.

Hospice cares for those people who live alone, but as your disease progresses, you will probably be less able to take care of your personal needs. So, it is important that you have a care-giver system in place. Hospice does not provide 24–hour nursing or live-in care givers, except during a short-term crisis. Your social worker can help identify sources that may be able to help you deal with this challenge.

If you need 24-hour nursing or custodial care on a continuing basis, your social worker will help find this type of support from other sources. However, we know that during a crisis there may be need for short-term nursing care, and Hospice will provide this care on a limited basis.

Hospice services are provided in all hospitals in Dutchess and Ulster counties; however, in many cases, because we have a nurse on-call, 24-hours-a-day, you can call us first. Then we can make a mutual decision about the best approach to managing a crisis. This way, the situation can often be handled without going to the emergency room.

However, if you must be admitted to the hospital, our Hospice inpatient team will care for you there.

Yes. Although our medical director is available for consultation with your doctor, you may continue to see your own doctor, and your Hospice nurse will discuss all aspects of your care or changes in your condition with your doctor.

You, a member of your family, your doctor, a member of the nursing home staff, a hospital social worker or discharge planner can contact Hospice. We will then contact your doctor to discuss your medical condition.

During our initial visit, we will explain our programs and services and evaluate your situation so that we can develop your individualized plan of care with the services and treatments that are right for you. You will also be asked to sign a consent form choosing Hospice care.

Most health insurances, including Medicare and Medicaid, have Hospice coverage. Some have deductibles and co-payments that apply, but at the time you are considering Hospice, we will let you know if your insurance covers you.

We will also handle all the billing and necessary paperwork, which is one less task that you and/or your family will have to perform.

There is no simple answer to this question. As long as your doctor determines that you have a life expectancy of six months or less, if the disease runs its normal course, you can stay on Hospice.

Each patient’s situation is evaluated periodically, and some patients are discharged from Hospice Inc. because their condition significantly improves or they choose to try a new, curative treatment.

Some patients are on Hospice longer than six months because their doctor still states that they have a life expectancy of six months.

Although most of our patients have DNR orders because they do not wish extraordinary measures to be taken to prolong life, one is not required to receive Hospice care. However, you should discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a DNR with your doctor and our Hospice team.

Hospice does not practice nor support physician-assisted suicide. We neither hasten nor prolong death. The emphasis of our care is to enhance the patient’s comfort and quality of life, until death comes naturally.

Volunteers, after completing a formal 24-hour training program, are an important part of the Hospice care giving team. They assist in providing care in every setting: home, hospital, and nursing home.

They are a source of companionship, emotional and practical assistance for both patient and family. This can include respite for the care giver, helping with chores around the house, transportation, shopping or just listening.

Calling Hospice does not mean that you are going to die right away. In fact, most families who have used our services say that they wish they had called sooner. The right time to call us is when you or a loved one is faced with the challenge of an advanced illness.

One of our professionally trained nurses will visit you and give you all the information about how Hospice can help you and your family, so that you can make an informed decision about your healthcare choices. You do not have to agree with your physician’s diagnosis; however, you do have to acknowledge that Hospice care is a comfort-oriented program, not a curative one.

Many of our patients thrive with the personal care that the Hospice team provides. Our goal is to make our patients’ last days, comfortable and pain free.

In addition to our patient volunteers, members of the community assist with office work, pickup and delivery of items needed by patients, specific projects such as training days or community education, special events and more. Click here for more information.

Hospice Foundation, Inc. was established in 2000 to support the nationally recognized programs and services provided by Hospice Inc. and its subsidiaries. The Foundation is a separate, independent, tax-exempt corporation. Currently, our mission is to solicit, invest and allocate charitable gifts and grants to Hospice Inc. and The Bereavement Center.

All contributions are used to support Hospice’s programs and services. These may include paying for our bereavement programs, new technology or specialized services such as our new music therapy program.

If a gift is given for a specific purpose, it is always used for that purpose. Donations are individually acknowledged by the Hospice Foundation and are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

Hospice is a choice, so a patient may choose to leave at any time.

Hospice cares for people of all ages and with any illness. Some of the illnesses that Hospice patients have are heart disease, cancer, Lou Gehrig’s disease, cirrhosis, leukemia, emphysema, kidney disease, AIDS, and Alzheimer’s, among others.

At Hospice, we know that each patient and family’s situation is unique, so we develop an individualized plan of care to provide the services that meet your specific needs and if you are living at home, in a nursing home or in the hospital. However, your care plan is continually reviewed and updated by our medical director, your physician and members of your clinical-care team.

Some of the services provided by the clinical-care team are: Medical director consultations; Hospice nurses; pain and symptom management; medical social workers; pastoral care; music therapists; home health aides; illness-related medications; medical supplies and equipment; physical, occupational and speech therapy consults; dietary counseling; bereavement counseling and volunteer assistance.

Hospice services that are provided for the family may include instruction on caring for the patient, emotional support, assistance with physical care, help with filling out paper work and counseling, if necessary.

We coordinate family meetings to discuss any changes in the patient’s condition or the need for change in the care routine. We provide all medical equipment and illness-related prescriptions. Our on-call nurse is available 24-hours-a-day to answer questions and respond in a time of crisis.

Our specially trained volunteers will do a variety of things to help the patient or family. They’ll visit with the patient so that the care giver has time to take care of other things; they’ll read to the patient, write letters, prepare meals, shop or provide transportation—whatever is needed to help you during this difficult time.

Grief recovery education, support groups and special bereavement programs for adults and children who have lost a loved one are available for 13 months after the death of a loved one.

We have found that controlling pain and other symptoms is most often the key to improving the patient’s comfort and quality of life; consequently, our physicians and nurses are experts in pain management.

The decision about whether a specific treatment is appropriate will be made by you, your doctor, our medical director and your clinical-care team.

Hospice care is provided wherever you are living—at home, in a nursing home or at any of the hospitals in Dutchess and Ulster counties.

Hospice is the only federal- and state-licensed health agency that focuses exclusively on end-of-life care. Hospice care is delivered by an interdisciplinary team of professionals and specially trained volunteers who address the wide range of physical, emotional, and spiritual needs that arise at this difficult time. Our clinical team specializes in pain and symptom management, as well as the special needs of those nearing the end of life. Hospice also offers music therapy, chaplaincy and bereavement services.