Hospice Facts

What are the advantages of hospice?

We Care Hospice treats the person, instead of the disease;  focuses on the family, instead of just the individual;  and emphasizes the quality of life, instead of duration.  We Care Hospice Care allows terminally ill patients and their families to experience the end of life together, in the comfort and security of home or a home-like setting.  We Care Hospice uses the combined knowledge and skills of an interdisciplinary team of professionals, including physicians, nurses, home care aids, social workers, chaplains, and volunteers.  We Care Hospice is the preferred choice of health care for the terminally ill and their families.

What Services are provided?

We Care Hospice involves a team-oriented approach to quality medical care, pain and symptom management, as well as emotional and spiritual support tailored to meet the patient's and the family's needs.  These services include:

• Nursing available 24 hours a day to provide and manage pain and symptom control.  Nurses supervise and coordinate services and disciplines of care for the patient and family.
• Physician Services from the We Care Hospice Medical Director who provides direction to the We Care hospice Team;  as well as collaboration with the patient's attending physician.
• Dietician/Nutritionist provides dietary planning and support to reduce nausea, minimize weight loss, and maximize health and wellness.
• Physical & Occupational Therapists train caregivers and improve quality of life with environmental changes.
• Social services for patient and family counseling, psychological support, community resources, and financial assistance.
• Home Health Aids provide intermittent personal care, support, and environmental hygiene.  Home Health Aides are on-call 24 hours a day.  They are activated by the On-Call Hospice Nurse to provide care, support, and relieve caregiver crisis and patient need.
• Medication for pain control and symptom management, including; IV and subcutaneous pain control pumps, pain control skin patches, and other innovative approaches.
• Medical Supplies, dressings, diapers and chux as needed.
• Medical Equipment such as hospital beds and oxygen for comfort.
• Spiritual Care provided by our Chaplain for both patient and family. Our Chaplain will assist with resources for end fg life issues.  The Chaplain is also available for crisis intervention at the time of death and to assist with funeral or memorial services.
• Bereavement and Grief Support for patient and loved ones.
• Trained Volunteers for respite, emotional support, shopping, errands, and transportation.

What are the general criteria for referrals to We Care Hospice?

In order to receive services from We CAre hospice, including inpatient care at our Inpatient Facility, the patient must meet all of the following conditions:

• Terminal prognosis of 6 months or less if the disease follows a normal and expected course.
• Choosing palliative care (i.e. symptom control, declines interventions that alters the course of the terminal diagnosis).
• We Care Hospice receives medical documentation to support the terminal diagnosis.

Note: The attending physician will need to certify the patient as terminally ill and follow the patient in hospice care.  We Care Hospice Medical Directors may be willing to become the patients attending physician if the patient/family/current attending physician requests this.

We Care Hospice will follow patients in private residences, county jail, assisted living facilities, or the We CAre Hospice Inpatient Facility.

What are the criteria for admission to The We Care Hospice Inpatient Facility?

The We Care Hospice Freestanding Inpatient Facility may be considered as an inpatient option for the patient if the patient meets any of the following:

• General Inpatient Care: When Physical symptoms cannot be handled at home (i.e., IV meds, family in shock and ill-prepared)
• Respite Care: When the caregiver needa a relief 
• Hospice Residental Care:  When a hospice patient decides to stay at the We Care Hospice Inpatient Facility after his pain or symptoms are under control.

For more information about

The We Care Hospice Inpatient Facility, Click here!

To Make a referral to We CAre Hospice click here!

To read some common misconceptions about hospice care and services,