What is Hospice Care? Hospice care is a specialized form of care for people with terminal and life-threatening conditions. The focus of hospice, or palliative care, is to provide symptom control and comfort to terminally ill patients. Hospice providers offer a customized combination of compassionate care services to terminally ill patients to ensure their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs are being met as they near the end of their life. In addition to supporting patients during their time of need, hospice services also include caregiver and family support during this time of uncertainty and grief. Why Choose Hospice? Priority is given to reduce pain and suffering to make patients as comfortable as possible as they near the end of their life. The additional support provided by the hospice team gives attention and care to the patient during their time of need, as well as much needed respite to caregivers and family members. Hospice of Murray County provides hospice care in a variety of settings. Services can be provided in the comfort and familiarity of the patient’s own home, in their nursing home or assisted living facility, or in an inpatient hospice facility like Our House in Slayton. Our staff provides: • Physician and nursing services • Social and spiritual services • Volunteer services • Hospice aide services What Can You Expect? A physician or other medical provider, family member, or friend of the patient will make a referral to the hospice agency. All patients have a right to the hospice provider of their choice, regardless of their healthcare network or doctor. Next, the chosen hospice team will meet with the patient and their loved ones to discuss and develop a customized hospice care plan for the patient and answer questions. When a patient elects hospice care, Hospice of Murray County provides the following items related to the terminal diagnosis at NO COST to the patient: • Medical supplies and equipment • Medications and biologics • Personal care items If the patient opts to receive their hospice services as an inpatient at Our House in Slayton, rent of $220.00 per day is not included as part of the Medicare hospice benefit. Depending on the patient’s insurance, this expense may be covered by another insurance policy or it may be an out-of-pocket expense. The Hospice Team • The attending physician continues to provide services to the patient via information from the nursing staff. • The hospice medical director is available to sign orders and oversee patient's medical care as needed. • The hospice nurse coordinates care with the physician and provides education on medication and equipment. • The social worker assists the family with financial and healthcare documents, as well as emotional issues. • The spiritual care and bereavement coordinator offers pre-death and post-death emotional and spiritual support. • The hospice chaplain plans, assesses, and cares for the spiritual needs of each patient and their loved ones throughout the end of life process. • Hospice aides assist with personal care, comfort care, and homemaker services. • Volunteers offer much-needed breaks to caregivers.