Although hospice is primarily a home care program, occasionally patients experience needs which are difficult to resolve in the home. Admitting patients to the hospice unit for general inpatient care allows the medical staff to adjust their care plan to achieve patient comfort and return them to their home.

Special Services
Examples of general inpatient care:

• When patients experience sudden and/or severe onset of symptoms such as pain, anxiety or agitation, they may benefit from this level of care to adjust their medication/care plan. Patient’s length of stay is determined by how quickly their comfort can be restored, generally within three to five days.
• Caregivers who need help dealing with psychosocial issues or can no longer provide for the patient’s care needs in the home setting may use an inpatient stay to stabilize the home situation or arrange for the patient’s care in another setting.

Another level of care that may be available is Respite Care. This category of care does have a set number of days. Medicare provides for a maximum of five consecutive days on the unit. Patients can have multiple respite stays on the unit during the course of their hospice care, usually not more than once per month. This type of stay is designed to give caregivers a time of rest and can be arranged by informing your primary nurse in advance when possible.
Unique services:

• Palliative care with focus on comfort rather than cure.
• Attention given to physical, emotional and spiritual needs of both patient and family.
• Care provided in the home, a nursing home or our inpatient unit.
• Services and care are provided by an interdisciplinary team consisting of the patient's physician, Hospice Medical Director, registered nurse, social work, chaplain, home health aide and specially trained volunteers.
• Bereavement support provided to family following patient's death.

Support

Hospice care does not end upon the death of a loved one. After a patient's death, bereavement support is offered to families.

St. Elizabeth Hospice offers a wide range of bereavement services for Hospice families and support groups for the community.   Grief support groups for adults and children are conducted throughout the year.  See opportunities below:

• Journey Through Grief - This 6-week class  meets on Monday evenings at the new Hospice Center, and is scheduled throughout the year.   For adults who have experienced the death of a loved one, the focus is on helping participants better understand the grief process while gaining support from each other.
• Journey Through Grief Grant County - Meets the first Monday of the month for breakfast at a local restaurant. Meets the third Monday of the month for support group meeting at Crittenden Baptist Association Office in Williamstown, KY. Both groups meet at 10:30 a.m.
• Men's Breakfast Club - This support group for retired age widowers focuses on developing friendships through fellowship.  Meets the second Tuesday of each month, 9:30 a.m.  at Atria Summit Hills in Crestview Hills.
• HOPE: Helping Overwhelmed Parents Endure - Support group for parents who have experienced the death of an older child.  Meets the second Monday of each month, 6:30 - 8 p.m. at the Hospice Center, 483 South Loop Dr in Edgewood.
• STARS: Grief Support for Kids - This program is for school aged kids who have experienced the death of a loved one and their caregivers.  Meets every other Tuesday for 9 meetings,  one series in the fall and one in the spring, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.  For information or registration, visit our website. 

• Consults for service are available for the community.

• Call our Bereavement Coordinator at (859) 301-4611 for more information.

Volunteer

Volunteers at St. Elizabeth Hospice greatly enhance services to patients. An initial 18-hour training course and ongoing education is required for all volunteers. For more information about opportunities, please call our Volunteer Coordinator at (859) 301-4622 or send us an e-mail.

Giving

St. Elizabeth Hospice is a tax exempt, non-profit 501 © organization that receives contributions from the community to support its mission. Charitable gifts to the St. Elizabeth Foundation help cover subsidized free care and special programs for adults and children, as well a provide for capital needs. Donations are greatly appreciated and can be designated to the Hospice program. You can make a donation online or call the St. Elizabeth Foundation at (859) 344-3920.

Links

NHPCO - National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization