Please call 1-800-842-8275 for referrals or information on Roanoke Home Care & Hospice. Ask to speak with the Referral Nurse.

Hospice is a term used many centuries ago to designate a resting-place for the weary travelers. It is now a multidisciplinary system of caring for those patients and their families who are terminally ill. The focus of the Hospice service is on the patient’s quality of life and the support of his/her loved ones and not on the disease. Hospice services stress palliative care (relief of pain and symptoms) as opposed to curative care. Most of the time Hospice services are provided in a person’s home, but could be provided in any setting, such as a hospital or nursing home.

Hospice is a term used many centuries ago to designate a resting-place for the weary travelers. It is now a multidisciplinary system of caring for those patients and their families who are terminally ill. The focus of the Hospice service is on the patient’s quality of life and the support of his/her loved ones and not on the disease. Hospice services stress palliative care (relief of pain and symptoms) as opposed to curative care. Most of the time Hospice services are provided in a person’s home, but could be provided in any setting, such as a hospital or nursing home.

Hospice services are provided by a multidisciplinary team which includes nurses, physicians, social workers, ministers/chaplains, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, pharmacists, nutritionists, in-home aides, family members and volunteers. This team works together with the patient and family to provide a continuity of care for the patient which will focus on making each day the best it can for the patient. Some of the services that are available with the Hospice program include 24 hour availability of skilled nursing services, pain and symptoms management, emotional support and spiritual counseling, assistance with some medications and bereavement support for family and loved ones.

Medicare and Medicaid and many private insurance companies have Hospice benefits for those patients who meet the Hospice admission criteria. In order for a patient to be admitted to the Hospice program, he/she must have a diagnosis of a terminal illness with a life expectancy of six months or less; the patient must accept the concept of palliative care and not seek curative care; and the patient must be under the care of a physician who is supportive of Hospice.

A Hospice agency must be certified and approved by Medicare to provide the Hospice Medicare Benefit (HMB). The agency must also meet the Medicare Conditions of Participation as well as comply with the federal and state regulations. Hospice services are in many ways similar to Home Health services, but some requirements are waived for the Hospice patient such as homebound status or the need for skilled care. A person who chooses to be admitted to the Hospice program also has the right to choose to discontinue the services or to revoke the service if he/she wishes to seek curative measures.