What is Hospice?

In medieval times, hospice was a place of shelter for travelers on a difficult journey. Today, hospice is no longer a place but, rather, a philosophy of care that offers spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, and medical support to those facing one of life’s greatest journeys. It is a compassionate approach that allows those faced with a life-threatening illness to maintain dignity and control over their lives and to spend quality time with their family and friends in the comfort of their own homes whether that is in a private residence, skilled nursing facility, or assisted living facility. The goal is not to cure, but to provide comfort and maintain the highest possible quality of life for as long as possible.

The Medicare Hospice Benefit

Helpful information on an entitlement for you and your family.

With the cost of health care today, it is easy to understand how stressful it is for families, especially those facing a life-limiting illness. Fortunately, Medicare provides complete coverage for Amity Care Hospice’s expert care, including:

• Medical visits by our doctors and nurses and all medications and equipment they order
• Spiritual support by our nondenominational chaplains
• Emotional support by our licensed social workers and grief counselors
• Practical support by our home health aides, nursing assistants and volunteers.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor When You Have a Serious Illness

When a doctor advises a patient that they have a serious illness, it is normal to feel overwhelmed and, certainly, in moments like those we cannot possibly know all the questions we should ask or may want to ask until we have had some time to consider what we have been told.  What we are offering here are some ideas / questions to consider when faced with such an event.  The following questions we have listed are by no means exhaustive nor are they a substitute for professional medical advice.  They are designed to help you and your family members and caregivers understand, manage and share important health information related to serious illness diagnoses and treatments.