Hospice Services
High Peaks Hospice provides the support needed to care for your loved one, wherever they call home.
We support one’s desire to live out life in the comfort of their home, surrounded by the people, pets and things that bring them comfort and joy.
Once on service you will receive in-home visits from our Nurses and LPN’s; medications, equipment and supplies related to the hospice illness; emotional and practical support from our social workers (who can help with so much); spiritual support from our nondenominational chaplain; and support and company from a volunteer for tasks that become more difficult as the disease progresses. Lastly, you will have 24/7 access to contact us for questions or emergent visits.
Individuals on care and their families can opt to wait to utilize some of the available hospice services until they feel they would benefit them. The care team will make suggestions as to what can lead to the best comfort and care as time progresses. With hospice, it is all about filling your needs and wishes and keeping you comfortable how and where you want to be.
With our emphasis on pain control and symptom management, patients are given comfort so they may enjoy the time they have with those they love. Loved ones, in turn, will be supported and taught how to best care for their loved one now and looking ahead into the future.
Where is care provided?
Whenever possible, care is given in the location where the patient feels most comfortable, most often in the familiar surroundings of their home. Hospice care may additionally be provided in the home of a loved one, assisted living facility, skilled nursing facility, or even a hospital.
When should you reach out for Hospice Services?
Soon after a terminal diagnosis of six months or less is the optimal time to enter hospice. In general, if treatment no longer works or is no longer desired, or a significant decline in status has occurred, you should call our hospice office to discuss the options available to you.
There is no need to wait until a crisis occurs. Unfortunately, many patients wait until the very end before calling hospice and miss out on the comfort and peace of mind that hospice can provide. It is never too early to contact us, we are here to help patients to LIVE their best life at the end of life. A common statement that we receive on our Patient Satisfaction Surveys is, “We wish we had called sooner.”
Even without a prognosis, there are some common signs it is time to call for a hospice evaluation.
- Frequent hospitalizations
- Increased weakness
- The decrease in ability to function
- Progressive unintentional weight loss/gain
- Increased oxygen dependency
- Dementia with the inability to communicate
- A preference to stop curative treatments that are either ineffective or causing discomfort.
- Trouble swallowing
- Desire to focus on comfort care
We believe that when it comes to your health, it is your choice. Our team, along with the patient and their loved ones will create a plan of care to address the physical, emotional, spiritual and practical needs based on your choices. Our staff can answer questions and help you to understand the process as well as offering options for care that you may not have considered. Patient and family wishes and choices are taken into consideration at all times.
High Peaks Hospice provides specialized care that meets the needs and desires of people living with a terminal illness and those who care for them.
How are hospice services paid for?
Hospice is considered skilled health services and is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private health insurance plans. Provided all eligibility requirements are met, Hospice services are covered by the Hospice Benefit under Medicare with no copays or deductibles.
No one is refused care due to inability to pay. To cover expenses not reimbursed by insurance, we rely on the generosity of private individuals as well as community support.
Hospice is a gift to those on their final journey.
Free informational sessions are available to any family considering hospice services. Connect with us to learn more. We’re just a call away.
Common Questions
Hospice Myths
Choosing hospice does not mean a death sentence. What hospice does mean is a total change of focus. It means the person is in control: making choices about what is most important in his or her life. Hospice philosophy emphasizes the creative and positive outcomes to be realized by defining and achieving personal goals and by living life as fully as possible.
It is not uncommon for people entering hospice care to experience an improved sense of well being and comfort. This sometimes happens because pain management and symptom control issues are openly discussed and effectively resolved. Sometimes, this sense of well-being is a reflection of the person’s sense of control gained from defining her/his goals and from active participation in developing the plan of care.
Living with end-stage disease and dying well takes work. Hospice workers handle that job very well and help people in hospice and their families to have some of the most memorable moments of their lives.
Every hospice experience is unique, but one key thing families tell us about hospice is that “we wish we had known about hospice sooner”. Hospice team members also know that having more time to work with a person and family means better quality of life. Because the goal of hospice is to achieve the highest quality of life possible, some people may actually live longer than expected without the burden of symptoms and aggressive care.
People on hospice care and their families receive care for an unlimited amount of time, depending upon the course of the illness. There is no fixed limit on the amount of time a person may continue to receive hospice services.
Hospice isn’t really about dying. Hospice is about living as well as one can every day we have. It is about adding life, quality of life, to someone’s final days, weeks or months. Hospice is a program of services available to the person and her/his loved ones where ever they may be. Most hospice care takes place where the person already lives: in their own home or a family member’s, a nursing home, or an assisted living facility.
Hospice is care designed for people living with a life-limiting illness. There is so much more that can be done to assist individuals and families in living their lives fully, completely, and without pain until the end of their lives.
More than 50% of people on hospice are diagnosed with conditions other than cancer. Anyone with a life-limiting illness can receive hospice care. Heart disease, kidney disease, COPD and dementia are a few of the illnesses that can benefit from hospice services.
This is an individual/family choice. A person can certainly choose to be resuscitated. The hospice will generally not provide this type of care, but will explain what you need to do to access such services. The hospice team will provide information that might be useful in making such decisions.
In the past, some hospices required a primary care giver because the hospice cannot provide 24 hour care except in crisis situations. Most hospices do not require this any longer. The hospice will ask you to make a plan for what will happen when you need round the clock care.
Family members and friends are encouraged, supported, and trained by hospice professionals to care for their loved ones. Hospice staff is on call to the individual and their families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help family and friends care for their loved ones.