Hospice care is provided by a team of professionals, which can include physicians, nurses, nurses’ assistants, social workers, chaplains, home health aids, counselors, and volunteers. Siena Hospice develops a personalized plan of treatment to assemble the appropriate team for each patient’s unique circumstances.

Services are based on the patient’s specific needs. They can include:

• Visits from doctors and nurses
• Visits from other caregivers, such as social workers, chaplains, and volunteers
• Medication to control pain and other symptoms
• Medical supplies
• Dietary counseling
• Emotional and spiritual counseling

Most hospice care in the US is covered by the Medicare Hospital Benefit, which covers up to 100% of qualified expenses. Some patients utilize private insurance, but this is less common than utilizing Medicare.

Hospice care, by design, is focused on the comfort of the patient, so it can be in a residence, a nursing home, or other facility.

As a loved one nears the end of life, family members can experience stress, uncertainty, anger, and other difficult emotions. Recognizing and supporting the needs of the family as well as the patient is part of the service provided by Siena Hospice.

Additionally, after the passing of the loved one, bereavement support can be of great value to family members.

Yes, your physician can work with the hospice team to plan care even after you have entered hospice care.