physical
Whether you’re in your own home, in a hospital, in an assisted living facility or nursing home, or in our Hospice House, as our patient, your comfort is our priority. Our goal is to have pain and symptoms under control within 24-48 hours or less. Hospice care teams are experienced and trained in end-of-life care. We have partnerships with area pharmacists specializing in compounded medication, and we’re very successful in managing pain and other difficult symptoms that cause discomfort, including nausea, shortness of breath, limited mobility and changes in nutritional status.
Direction of medical care and treatment is the responsibility of the patient’s attending physician, with the hospice medical director acting as liaison. Hospice team members include skilled nursing staff, home health aides, counselors, spiritual care team, volunteers and dietitians. On-call nursing care is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Physical, occupational and speech therapies related to the terminal illness can be provided upon physician order through contracted agencies or individuals. Patients at home, or in an area hospital or care facility are visited by a hospice RN one or more times each week, and a certified home health aide or LPN is available to assist with patient bathing and personal care.
pain and symptom relief (palliative care)
Paramount to the hospice philosophy is providing patients with freedom from pain and difficult symptoms. Care that gives comfort, eases pain or lessens the severity of symptoms without curing the underlying disease is called “palliative care.” Hospice of Holland offers a Palliative Care Program for patients who are suffering from an illness that is serious but not necessarily terminal, or for those not yet ready for hospice care. Upon request from the patient’s physician, our medical director provides a consultation that includes evaluation and treatment of difficult-to-control symptoms or discomfort due to the illness or ongoing treatments.
respite care
Respite care allows those providing end-of-life care an opportunity to get some much-needed rest or to manage other issues. Our trained Hospice of Holland caregivers offer respite care for up to five days at a time, 24 hours a day. Caregivers who need a break may choose to admit their loved one into our Hospice House or in a hospital during this time using the respite hospice benefit. Click on financial concerns for additional information, or contact us.
general inpatient (GIP) benefit
Medicare patients and some private insurance holders are now able to use the general inpatient Medicare hospice benefit at the Hospice House GIP care is a temporary level of care determined by the physician and it provides 24-hour care from licensed staff focusing on managing patients’ symptoms that can not be controlled at home. Once symptoms are controlled, the patient may choose to return home, to a facility or to reside at the Hospice House under “routine care”, which means patient is responsible for room and board expenses.