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Click
on the links below to find answers to questions you may have regarding
hospice care. If you have further questions or would like further
information feel free to call us at 508.825.8325 or use our online
contact
form. |
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Who
might need our services?
Any person, of any age, who has been diagnosed
with any type of life-threatening illness would benefit from
our services.
Unlike most other hospice programs, we have always provided
palliative & supportive care to persons at any stage of
a life-threatening illness, even while they are pursuing aggressive
treatment and/or have a longer life expectancy than six months.
Our philosophy has been that people need good pain & symptom
management, education, and support from the time of the diagnoses
onward, not just in the terminal stage of a disease.
Families/friends of persons with such illnesses, and persons
coping with grief also benefit from our educational and support
services, even when we have not provided care for the person
with the illness.
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Where are the services
provided?
Services are provided in any setting –
home, hospital, nursing home, or office — depending on
the needs of our patients.
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What types of services
are offered?
Physical, emotional, and spiritual care for patients and families
who require comprehensive palliative or hospice care.
Coping with Cancer Support Group for patients with any stage
of cancer and for the families/friends of persons with cancer.
Practical help and respite breaks. Consultations for various
needs, i.e. , grief-related issues, pain control, options for
treatment, explaining illness or death to children, etc. Assistance
with decision making and preparation of advance directives(
i.e., Health Care Proxies, Living Wills, etc.) Community education
& outreach through speakers, consultations to organizations,
work with schools, and library services. Grief
and bereavement support services. |
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Who provides
the care?
Hospice has an Interdisciplinary Team of professionals (from
nursing, medicine, social work, clergy) and lay volunteers to
help meet the needs of patients and families in a holistic manner.
This means that we try to pay attention to mind, body and spirit
as we provide care. The members of our team are available to
all our patients and families, but not every patient wants or
needs every member of the team and that is fine. Our patients
never have to change doctor, clergy, or other staff. We work
with our patients’ regular physicians and their own minister,
if they so desire, and if they’re receiving home health,
hospital, or nursing home care, we work very closely with those
staff members in order to provide patients with the best care
possible in a very coordinated manner. |
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What does it cost to receive
Hospice services?
All services provided directly by Hospice are free of charge.
This is made possible due to the generosity of the community
and the fund raising efforts of Hospice Care of Nantucket Foundation,
which provides financial support for hospice. When a patient
requires the services of another department in addition to the
Hospice Dept., i.e. the Community & Home Health Dept. or
the hospital inpatient units, those departments will bill patients
in the usual manner. |
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How would someone apply
for hospice care?
Anyone can request any service which we offer simply by calling
our office, or by discussing a referral with a doctor, nurse,
clergy person, etc. If admission for hospice care seems appropriate,
we would obtain all necessary orders from your physician, who
would continue to direct your medical care. |
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