At any time during a serious advanced illness, you can, and should, discuss care options, including hospice. By law, the decision belongs to the patient. We are available anytime to discuss your options.

You do not need to wait to discuss hospice care with a physician, other healthcare professionals, clergy or friends. You have a right to be treated according to your wishes – and should make your wishes known.

Certainly. If the patient’s condition improves and the disease seems to be in remission, patients can be discharged from Center for Hospice Care and return to therapy. If the discharged patient should later need to return to hospice care, Medicare and most private insurance will allow additional coverage for this purpose.

First, we contact your physician to make sure he or she agrees that hospice care is appropriate. You’ll be asked to sign consent and insurance forms. The “Hospice Election Form” states that you understand the care is palliative (aimed at pain relief and symptom control) rather than curative, and outlines services available.

We assess your needs and make the arrangements to obtain the necessary equipment. In general, we will assist in any way we can to make home care as convenient and safe as possible.

There is no set number. Your individualized care will address the amount of caregiving needed. Hospice personnel visit regularly and are always accessible to answer medical questions and provide support.

A team consisting of a doctor, nurses, social workers, aides, chaplains, therapists and volunteers cares for our patients. We also provide medications, supplies and equipment.

Hospice neither hastens nor postpones the dying process. Just as doctors and midwives lend support and expertise during the time of birth, the hospice team provides specialized knowledge to help you live your last chapter of life as fully as possible.

No. Although over 90 percent of our care is provided in a personal residence, some patients live in assisted living, nursing homes, or should the need arise, in one of our two area Inpatient Units, Esther’s House located on our Elkhart Campus and the Ernestine M. Raclin House located on our Mishawaka Campus.

Hospice is a philosophy of care which believes that emotional and spiritual pain is just as real and in need of attention as physical pain, so we address them all. Our doctors and nurses are up-to-date on the latest therapies for pain and symptom relief. Physical and occupational therapists may assist you to be as mobile and self-sufficient as possible, and they are joined by specialists in massage and diet counseling.

Not usually. We’ve seen how keeping patients pain-free and alert enables the last phase of life to be a time of healing and peace.

Very high. Using some combination of medications, counseling and therapies, most patients can be kept pain-free and comfortable.

Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance cover all services and supplies for the hospice patient, and Center for Hospice Care does not require any Medicare co-payments.

Center for Hospice Care will provide for anyone who can’t pay thanks to the generous contributions from our donors.

No. While some churches and religions have started hospices (sometimes in connection with their hospitals), Center for Hospice Care serves a broad community and does not require patients to adhere to any particular set of beliefs.

Center for Hospice Care provides continuing contact and support for family and friends for at least a year following the death of a loved one. Knowing the struggles of learning to live again without a person in your life, our bereavement support is available to anyone in our community, regardless if their loved ones were in our care or not.

It is never easy and sometimes may be quite hard. At the end of a long, progressive illness, nights especially can be long and lonely. We have staff available around the clock to call for support, including night visits if the need arises.