The Goals of Hospice Care?

Caregiver reading over prescription medicine information with the patient

Our objective in providing hospice care is to help you or your loved on to make the most out of every day. Heritage is focused primarily on comfort and pain management for our patients. As so many research papers have indicated, most patients choose hospice too late – they and their families miss out on the gold standard in end-of-life care. We see the benefits of hospice every day, which is why we are dedicated to providing this specialized healthcare service.

Goals of Care

  • Patient centered care.What drives our work is putting our patients’ wants, dreams, and goals at the center of the care plan. Essentially their objectives become our objectives – with the underlying desire to maximize comfort and minimize pain.
  • Live comfortably. Our actions, the medications we recommend, and the medical equipment we provide are geared towards making our patients as comfortable as possible.
  • Control your pain. A central principle to hospice care is effective pain management and this is paramount to the care we provide. Our board certified medical directors and registered nurses work with the patient’s primary care physician to provide the appropriate medications to effectively manage the patient's pain.
  • Keep your family close. One of the wonderful aspects of hospice care is the chance to spend quality time with loved ones wherever the patient calls home. Hospice is an amazing chance to reconnect with family, friends and loved ones – this is an important goal of our services.
  • Stay at home. Hospital visits are disruptive – they’re time consuming, they often involve ambulance rides, they are impersonal, they’re scary and we believe that they are largely unnecessary during end-of-life care. Our team effectively manages the patient’s evolving symptoms to alleviate the need for traumatizing hospital visits.
  • Stop waiting. Whenever you need us, we’re there. We visit our patients regularly and are available on-site 24/7.
  • Have your wishes honored. Like advance directives, we are firm believers in asking the right questions that may feel difficult, but result in clarity and understanding. Dr. Angelo Volandes’s “The Conversation” summarizes some of the questions we often discuss:

    • What gives your life meaning and joy?
    • What are your biggest fears and concerns?
    • What are you looking forward to?
    • What goals are most important to you now?

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