Hospice is about living. It is a special kind of care designed to provide sensitivity and support for people in the final phase of a terminal illness. Hospice care seeks to enable patients to carry on an alert, pain-free life and to manage other symptoms so that their last months may be spent with dignity and quality at home or in a home-like setting with family and friends.
Hospice Care
- Provides medically managed pain and symptom control in the patient’s home or nursing home
- Offers support for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and family
- Relieves anxiety by providing information to the patient and family about what to expect as the illness progresses
- Provides 24 hour a day on-call support from hospice physicians, nurses, social workers, pastor, volunteers and dietitians
- Includes back-up inpatient hospitalization at contracting hospitals or skilled nursing facilities
- Reduces financial stress on family by paying for medications, equipment and supplies
- Provides special bereavement care to family and loves ones for up to 13 months after the death
- Is completely free to all patients and families. Hospice services are paid for by Medicare, Medicaid and Private Insurances. Additional support comes from public and private donations as well as memorials
Hospice Services Include
- A team of professionals trained in hospice care
- Medications for pain relief and symptom management
- Dietary guidance
- Personal care
- Emotional and spiritual care
- Short-term inpatient care, including respite care available at Sarah D. Culbertson Memorial Hospital in Rushville and Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville
Hospice Care Admission Criteria Includes:
- Physician authorization
- Life expectancy of approximately 6 months or less and the goal of comfort care rather than cure
- Residence in the geographic area served by hospice which includes all of Cass, Schuyler, Brown, Morgan and Scott counties and surrounding areas
- The philosophy of allowing death to occur naturally without extraordinary interventions
- Arrangements for a capable and willing caregiver to serve in the home when needed
Funding for Cass-Schuyler Area Hospice
Cass-Schuyler Area Hospice is always in need of financial support from the communities in its service area of Cass, Schuyler, Brown, Morgan, and Scott counties, as well as its surrounding areas. Both private and corporate donations are always very welcome.
Cass-Schuyler Area Hospice is a service of the Cass County Health Department and is included in the West Central Illinois Health Corporation which is a 501(C)3 entity. All donations made to the Cass-Schuyler Area Hospice are tax deductible.
Hospice Resources
