General intro paragraph goes here? Leave the answer to “What is hospice?” for the accordion item below.
Patient-Centered Care – You’re in Control
The hospice philosophy of care focuses on the patient as the center of care. Our individualized, patient- and family-centered care is based on the principles of comfort, dignity, and choice. Your Hospicare team will talk with you regularly about your symptoms and prognosis, as well as your goals for your care and how you want to spend the time you have left.
Our focus also will be on your family—spouse, partner, relatives, companions, or dear friends—and their needs. They may feel concerned, confused, or frightened about the future. Our goal is to enhance the quality of your life and theirs, every day that you live.
Commonly Asked Questions
Below are answers to some the most commonly asked questions. We hope they will give you get a better understanding of what hospice care is and how it can benefit your family.
What is Hospice?
Hospice is a philosophy of care that allows you and your family to focus on quality of life. We care for people in our community who are dying by providing physical, emotional, and spiritual comfort.
This can be as straightforward as providing companionship and practical assistance or as complicated as controlling your pain, helping you talk to your family members, or working with you to resolve spiritual conflicts. Hospice treats the whole person. Hospicare strives to meet your needs – physical, emotional, social and spiritual – as well as the needs of your family and caregivers.
Where are services provided?
Hospicare comes to you and can provide services in your home, assisted living facility, skilled nursing facility, hospital, or at our 6-bed residence in Ithaca. We serve Cortland and Tompkins counties.
What does hospice cost?
We believe that worrying about financial issues should not be part of your end-of-life. Hospice services can be covered by Medicare and Medicaid, many insurance companies and managed care providers. No one is refused service because of the inability to pay. The cost of medications and medical equipment related to hospice service may be covered.
What if I’m still not sure?
Find out more on our FAQ page or read about when to call hospice. You may also try hospice for a few days and if you don’t find what we offer helpful, you can always change your mind.
How do I sign up?
Anyone can make a referral to hospice– a patient, a caregiver, a doctor, a family member, or a friend. Begin the referral process by calling 607-272-0212.
Your Personal Team »
In addition to your current physician and family, we can add to your circle of support with:
- Medical Director
- Registered and Licensed Practical Nurses
- Home Health Aides
- Volunteers – Read more about how our volunteers support patients here.
- Social Workers
- Spiritual Care Coordinator – Read more about our spiritual care here.
- Bereavement Counselors
- Musicians – Read more about our music program here.
- Companion Animals
The hospice team will work with you to establish a plan of care that meets your needs. A registered nurse is available on-call after hours and on weekends.
Working with your physician, our team develops a plan to meet your specific needs that can include:
- Providing relief through pain and symptom control
- Meeting your, and your family’s, emotional and spiritual needs with counseling
- Educating you and your family about what to expect next
- Helping to solve problems related to legal, financial, and family issues
- Providing personal care and companionship
- Offering complementary therapies such as music and massage
Supporting Your Loved Ones
Our experienced counselors provide support and guidance to patients’ family and friends as they prepare for and cope with the death of someone important to them. This includes 13 months of bereavement support following the death of a hospice patient. We offer a large variety of grief support groups to help children, teens, and adults work through the process of integrating grief into their lives at their own pace.
Do you want to know more? Call us at 607-272-0212 for more information.