Hospice
For more information: 563-244-3666 | Savanna, Ill., 815-273-2628
A special kind of caring.
More and more often, people with life limiting illness are choosing home as the place to spend the last months of their lives. At home, a person can enjoy being with the people they love, in familiar surroundings.
Hospice care, which is available for patients of all ages, is appropriate for an individual or family who chooses pain and symptom management instead of curative treatment. Hospice develops a plan of care to help patients and family members maintain control over their lives by keeping them physically and emotionally supported and comfortable.
Hospice enhances the quality of life and enables patients to live the final days of their lives with dignity, purpose and peace.
What services can I expect from MercyOne Clinton Hospice?
- Nursing care
- Physician services
- Home health aide / homemaker
- Social worker service
- Bereavement counseling
- Spiritual care
- Coverage of medication, equipment, and supplies related to the terminal illness
- Nutrition counseling
- Pain and symptom management
- Volunteer support
- Respite care
- On-call nurse available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Music therapy
- Other services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy if indicated for illness
Where is Hospice care provided?
The provision of hospice care is generally in the home. However, patients and families may choose residential facilities, nursing home facilities and other settings. In some circumstances the patient may be admitted short-term to the hospital for pain and symptom control.
When is Hospice appropriate?
- Physicians certify that the patient has a life limiting illness of six months or less.
- The patient chooses to receive comfort and support rather than curative treatments for their illness.
- Comfort-oriented care to improve the quality of life is most important.
Early referrals
An early referral to the Hospice program provides the patient and family quality time to discuss advanced care planning by being engaged in decisions about their treatment or care near the end of life.
How do I make a referral?
Referrals can be made by:
- Self
- Family member
- Physician
- Nurse
- Social Worker
- Nursing Facility
- Clergy
The patient's physician, if unaware of the referral, should be contacted immediately to give approval for the referral to MercyOne Clinton Hospice and certify the process.
What's next?
The MercyOne Clinton Hospice nurse will make a visit to explain the hospice benefits and to assess the patient. The results of the initial assessment, review of the patient's medical summaries, including the physician's findings, will provide the basis for the initial plan of care.
Services are provided in Clinton and Jackson Counties in Iowa and Whiteside and Carroll counties in Illinois. MercyOne Clinton Hospice is accredited by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Health Care Organizations and is Medicare- and Medicaid-certified.