If you or a loved one is facing the end of life, hospice care can provide medical, psychological and spiritual support to help you have peace, comfort and dignity at this profound time.
Our hospice services are provided in collaboration with
Care Dimensions. The hospice team includes physicians, nurses, social workers, aides, hospice volunteers and chaplains who are here for you and your family.
How does hospice care work?
Hospice combines medical, social, emotional, spiritual and support services to preserve a person’s dignity and comfort at the end of life. Hospice:
- Emphasizes managing physical and emotional pain so patients can be comfortable and alert
- Eases anxiety, loneliness and fear of death through social, spiritual and psychological support
- Enables most patients to remain at home during their final illness with appropriate medication, nursing assistance, supplies and ancillary support
- Provides 24/7 access to a nurse as needs arise
- Supports families throughout a patient’s illness and ensuing bereavement period
- Provides a multi-disciplinary team of hospital-based professionals and trained volunteers who work closely with the patient’s physician to provide optimal care
Who is eligible for hospice?
Anyone facing a terminal illness with a six-month-or-less life expectancy if the disease takes its normal course is eligible for hospice care. Patients use hospice at a time in their illness when they are no longer seeking curative treatment, and when enhancing the quality of remaining life is a primary concern.
How do you obtain hospice services at Emerson?
The patient’s social worker at Emerson can work with them and their caregivers to coordinate hospice consultation with the attending physician. The Care Dimensions hospice team works closely with you, your doctor and family members to clearly define what your goals of care and where you would best benefit from hospice services. You, or your designated representative, is responsible for making the final decision to use hospice.
Where is hospice care provided?
Hospice services can be provided in the comfort and familiarity of the patient’s home. Hospice care also can be provided in an inpatient hospice facility or at a skilled nursing facility.
Emerson has inpatient hospital beds available for hospice patients in collaboration with Care Dimensions. This allows inpatients to receive seamless hospice-level care while remaining at Emerson.
The hospice team will help the patient and caregivers to understand which setting is best to achieve the goals and the needs of the patient.
Who pays for hospice care?
Most insurers, including Medicare, provide hospice benefits that cover part or all of the service of a hospice program at home. Coverage for hospice care in other settings depends on the insurance. Coverage for inpatient hospice care should be discussed with your insurance provider. The hospital team will work with you so you understand the coverage in the various settings.
For more information
If you would like to know more about hospice for yourself or a loved one, please call the Emerson Hospital care management department at
978-287-3170 and the office manager will connect you with the social worker that the patient is working with.
For more general information on hospice at home, please contact the Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts at
800-962-2973 or
www.hospicefed.org.
