Hospice provides compassionate clinical care to people with life-limiting illnesses using a holistic approach to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of both patient and family/friends as they work through end-of-life issues while supporting the hope of a full and meaningful life for as long as possible. Care is provided in the home, assisted living or nursing home. The team includes your personal physician, the hospice physician, nurses, home health aides, social workers, chaplains and volunteers. You get regular nursing visits, on-call nursing 24 hours a day, seven days a week, education about the illness, what to expect as the disease progresses, and how to cope, medical equipment, supplies and medications related to the terminal illness, social services, supportive counseling and end-of-life planning, spiritual counseling by clergy, volunteer support for the patient and caregivers and bereavement support.
Is it time for hospice? Has the illness been described as end stage? Do you want palliative (comfort) care with pain and symptom management? Are disease-modifying treatments no longer an option or no longer desirable? Has the physician determined that you have six months or less to live if the disease follows its usual course? Are family or friends willing to participate in your care? Do you want holistic care and help with the emotional, spiritual and psychosocial issues? Do you want to remain at home and receive care?
Hospice care is reimbursed under Medicare and Medicaid and virtually all private insurance plans.
Central NJ not-for-profit hospice programs:
University Medical Center at Princeton
Visiting Nurse Association of Mercer County
Samaritan Hospice
NJ Hospice and Palliative Care Org
