Hospice Care

When a patient is terminally ill, one of the most important things their family can do is make sure they live in comfort and dignity, in the place they want to be, with the people who mean the most to them.

At Southern California Home Health and Hospice, we work to help each patient live out their life the way they wish. Our staff of experienced, compassionate healthcare professionals provides care and services to patients and their families who need to deal with life-limiting illnesses – helping ensure their final weeks together are spent in meaningful and fulfilling ways.

What is Hospice Care?

Hospice is not a physical place but is a concept of sensitive, compassionate care that can be provided anywhere, including a patient’s home, a hospital, a board and care facility or a skilled nursing facility. The goal of hospice care is to provide care based on the support, compassion and dignity patients need and deserve.

• Hospice care neither prolongs life nor hastens death.
• A team of specially trained professionals, volunteers and family members provides hospice care and specialized medical care, including pain management.
• Hospice care addresses the symptoms of a disease and places a special emphasis on controlling and minimizing a patient’s pain and discomfort.
• Hospice care deals with the emotional, spiritual and social impact of the disease on the patient and his or her family and friends.
• Southern California Home Health and Hospice uses a multidisciplinary team of sensitive, experienced and compassionate healthcare professionals who work under the direction of the patient’s primary care physician and our medical director.

Services We Offer

• Nursing
• Rehabilitation therapies
• Social services support
• Patient and family education
• Volunteer support and training
• Dietary counseling
• Spiritual support and guidance
• Home health aid

In addition, we coordinate the ordering, delivery and setup of necessary medical equipment and supplies. On-call nursing services are available 24/7.

Eligibility

Hospice care is intended for patients with terminal illnesses who are no longer seeking curative treatment, but instead want pain and symptom management, comfort and support. To be eligible for hospice care, patients must have a terminal prognosis with a life expectancy of six months or less, as certified by the patient’s primary care physician and the hospice medical director.

Bereavement Care

The support we provide doesn’t end with a patient’s passing. We know that surviving family members often need aid facing the stress of a loved one’s terminal illness and death. To help a family deal with their grief, our trained counselors provide bereavement care for up to a year. In addition, we offer free community-based grief recovery and bereavement support groups where families meet, share their emotions and experiences and gain support from each other.

Reimbursement

Medicare and MediCal, as well as most private insurance plans, cover hospice care. Coverage may include the cost of medical equipment, medications and other care related to the patient’s hospice diagnosis. Patients who are enrolled in Senior HMO plans may elect to be covered by Medicare for hospice care while they retain their HMO plan.

Transitioning Care From Hospital to Home

The transition from curative care to hospice care is an emotional time, especially as families face the reality of a loved one’s condition or life-limiting diagnosis. We make the transition easier for both the patient and family by providing a team of Hospice Specialists to guide and support you every step of the way.

Patients may need special medical equipment, which will be delivered to their home. They may need a wheelchair, hospital bed or oxygen. The Southern California Hospice team will ensure it is delivered to the patient’s home and the family is fully instructed on its use.

Depending on the patient’s condition, several medications may need to be administered at different times of the day and night. Hospice team members organize medications, make sure refills are ordered and received, and ensure proper disposal of medications that are no longer needed.

Volunteer Services

Southern California Home Health and Hospice has volunteer services. This is mandated by the State of California to be part of the hospice team. The hospice volunteers receive more than 20 hours of training on the scope of practice for the hospice program. All volunteers complete a background check and they are carefully screened to meet our standards.