It is not necessary for you to call 911. If your loved one has stopped breathing, call the
hospice on-call number, (678) 962-5850, to speak directly with a nurse.
No. Hospice has a 24/7 on-call support team, but does not provide 24/7 sitting services. Our Inpatient Unit provides skilled round-the-clock nursing supervision and hands-on care. Also, there are sitting services available outside of and in addition to hospice; you can be in hospice and employ a sitter service.
No. Hospice will neither hasten death nor prolong life. Providing life-prolonging measures is outside of hospice philosophy.
Continuous Home Care is up to 24-hour care by a licensed nurse and hospice aide for patients who reach a period of crisis that requires continuous nursing care to manage acute medical symptoms.
E-Kit stands for Emergency Kit. It is a small, white box delivered to you upon home care admission. It contains medications for the management of symptoms that may not be currently present but could occur. Keep the E-kit in your refrigerator.
Yes, and for other languages we provide translation services.
Per Medicare/Medicaid guidelines, a patient must medically qualify to be admitted/continue to stay in the Inpatient Unit. To qualify, a patient must have acute symptoms that need to be managed by a nurse around the clock, such as uncontrolled pain, agitation, respiratory distress, etc. If and when these symptoms are managed, the patient will transfer to a lower level of hospice care.
You will mainly see your hospice nurse case manager for clinical needs. Our physicians work closely with the nurses to delegate care through them. In home hospice, you will see a doctor or nurse practitioner every certification period (this time period varies depending on how long the patient has been using hospice services, but it comes once every several months) In the Inpatient Unit, a doctor or nurse practitioner usually sees the patients more often.
You can reach a nurse 24/7 at the number provided on the front and back cover of this handbook: (678) 962-5850. We also have a Chaplain or Social Worker available 24/7 by request when you call.
No. Funeral costs are not included in hospice services, but our support team can assist you with finding arrangements.
