Hospice Care
Thoughtfully coordinated hospice services that bring comfort, support, and peace of mind to patients and families when it matters most.
Hospice Services
The goal of Willowbrook Hospice is to provide patients and their loved ones the opportunity to experience the highest quality of life and comfort. The Willowbrook team offers experts in support and comfort care with a commitment to quality of life when you need it most.
Our clinicians provide support in the areas of medical and nursing care, emotional support, spiritual needs and preferences, social services, and bereavement.
Your services will include:
- Expert clinical care, including wound management
- Active management of pain and symptoms with the goal of eliminating or minimizing pain and discomfort
- Active volunteers for companionship and support
- Necessary medical equipment and supplies, such as a hospital beds, wheelchairs, and oxygen
- Education for families and caregivers related to care for the patient
- Short-term inpatient care when pain or symptoms become too difficult to manage at home
- Respite care
What is Hospice Care?
Hospice is holistic medical care that concentrates on palliation of symptoms when the focus of treatment turns from curative to quality of life. Willowbrook provides care with compassion and dignity, which also extends to the patient’s family and loved ones by providing them with support.
Hospice is not a place. Hospice provides a full range of medical services that allow the patient and family the opportunity to be in control. Hospice includes a range of services provided by physicians, skilled clinicians, spiritual care coordinators, social workers and bereavement counselors. Care includes pain and symptom management, patient and family education, medical equipment and supplies, medications as well as spiritual and emotional support. Learn more about the levels of hospice care.
Hospice care meets the patient where they are in their disease process and provides care wherever the patient calls home.
Being diagnosed with a life-limiting illness continually takes away from the individual. Hospice helps to bring a little of that back.
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, of which we are a member, offers extensive information about hospice care.
The Hospice Care Team
Your Willowbrook hospice care team includes a group of experienced individuals who make up the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT). This group meets no less than every 14 days to discuss each patient’s needs. The IDT is comprised of:
Hospice Medical Director
Oversees all aspects of care for the patient.
Registered Nurses
RNs are skilled in assessing, managing and coordinating the plan of care and reporting this information to the Hospice Medical Director. RNs are available 24/7.
Spiritual Counselor
Regardless of the patient’s faith, Spiritual Counselors are available to support the patient and family/caregiver in their journey. When requested, the hospice Spiritual Counselor can work with the patient’s specific clergy of choice.
Bereavement Support
Regardless of the patient’s faith, Spiritual Counselors are available to support the patient and family/caregiver in their journey. When requested, the hospice Spiritual Counselor can work with the patient’s specific clergy of choice.
Hospice Social Workers
Hospice social workers assist the patient and family navigate social or financial concerns and provide information on community resources such as military benefits, elder law, caregiver support groups, and funeral planning.
Home Hospice Aides
HHAs assist with personal care such as bathing, dressing, and grooming, and also provide support with daily activities such as light meal prep and walking. They report to the RN any medical changes they see while providing care to the patient.
Therapists
Licensed physical, occupational, and speech therapists, when determined beneficial by the IDT, can provide additional therapies to the patient in order to maintain some functionality or palliate symptoms.
Volunteers
Screened individuals who offer assistance with tasks, companionship and errands.
Payment & Insurance
The Hospice benefit is covered 100% by Medicare and Medicaid. Most commercial and private insurance companies also cover the cost of hospice (most with no co-payments).
Learn more in Frequently Asked Questions.