Hospice House
The Hospice House is an 8-bed inpatient unit designed specifically to meet the needs of terminally ill patients and their families as they face the end of life.
The Hospice House provides 24-hour care from registered nurses and hospice aides, as well as the company and support of trained hospice volunteers. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to care -- social work, pastoral care, clinical dietician, volunteer services and a nurse practitioner all play an essential part on the hospice team.
email a patient | Mail a Patient | Hospice House | Myths of Hospice
Hospice Questions Answered
When to choose hospice
Hospice Care Services
Medicare Hospice Benefit
Who is Eligible?
What does the medicare hospice benefit cover?
What is not covered?
Patient Support Volunteers
Hospice Volunteer Training
Administrative & Outreach Volunteers
Community Thrift Shop
Bereavement Services
Myths About Hospice
When to choose Hospice?
While many referrals are made by a physician, anyone can refer a patient to hospice--friend, family member, or clergy. Hospice will contact the physician to see if the patient is appropriate for hospice care. Hospice will then consult the patient and family to see if hospice services are desired. Timely referrals are important. Hospice staff can be more helpful when they have time to build a trusting relationship with patients and their loved ones before the situation becomes critical.
It is time when…..
- curative treatment is no longer an option.
- the emphasis changes to comfort, symptom control, and enhancing the quality of life.
- the patient knows they have a limited life expectancy.
- a physician thinks hospice can help.
If hospice comes into a patient's life when it is time, the patient can live their remaining days at home with their loved ones in familiar surroundings.
back to top
Hospice Care Services
The interdisciplinary team of health professionals and volunteers will design a plan of care that may include the following:
All care is provided under the direction of the patient’s primary physician.
Our Hospice Medical Director is available for consultation with the primary physician as needed.
back to top
Medicare Hospice Benefit
 Hospice is a special way of caring for a person whose disease cannot be cured. It is available as a benefit under Medicare Hospital Insurance (Part A) to beneficiaries with a very limited life expectancy. Since 1983, the Medicare Hospice Benefit has enabled millions of terminally ill Americans and their families to receive quality end-of-life care that provides comfort, dignity, and compassion.
With hospice care a person receives non-curative medical and support services for his or her terminal illness. Home care is provided along with necessary inpatient care and a variety of services not otherwise covered by Medicare.
The focus is on care, not cure; on helping the person to make the most of each day of remaining life by providing comfort and relief from pain. Hospice emphasizes quality of life. If you receive Medicare benefits, or if you are enrolled in a Medicare managed care (HMO) plan, you are entitled to Hospice care.
back to top
Who Is Eligible?
Medicare coverage for hospice care is available only if:
- The patient’s physician and the hospice Medical Director certify that a patient is terminally ill, with a life expectancy of six months or less
- The patient chooses to receive care from a hospice instead of standard Medicare benefits
- Care is provided by a hospice program certified by Medicare
back to top
What Does The Medicare Hospice Benefit Cover?
When all requirements are met, the Medicare Hospice Benefit covers:
- Nursing services
- Physician services related to the terminal illness from your primary physician
- Medical social services
- Counseling services, including
- Spiritual counseling provided by clergy
- Bereavement counseling for the family for up to one year after the death of the patient
- Dietary counseling, if required
- Other counseling, if required, by qualified professionals
- Home health aide and homemaker services
- Medical supplies, including
- Drugs for symptom control and pain relief
- Durable medical equipment (i.e., hospital beds)
- Medical supplies (i.e., bandages and catheters)
- Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, when necessary
- Laboratory testing and other diagnostic studies related to the care of the terminal illness
- Short-term inpatient care, including respite care
It is important to note that a patient retains full Medicare coverage for any health care needs not related to the terminal diagnosis.
back to top
What Are You Responsible For?
Medicare pays the hospice directly at a specified rate. The patient would only be asked to pay:
- 5% of the cost of outpatient drugs, or $5 for each prescription, whichever is less
- 5% of the Medicare rate for respite care
back to top
What is Not Covered?
The care that you get for your terminal illness must be from your hospice. When you choose hospice care, Medicare will not pay for:
- Treatment to cure your terminal disease
- Care from another hospice that was not arranged by your hospice
- Care from another provider that is the same care you must get from your hospice
A hospice patient has the right to change hospice providers at any point, as long as the newly-chosen hospice program is Medicare approved
back to top
Patient Support Volunteers
Our homebound and terminally ill patients depend on volunteers to help maintain their independence and physical and emotional comfort. Volunteers can assist patients and families in many ways:
-
 Bring the outside world to someone who is homebound or in the hospital.
- Provide companionship
- Provide respite for caregivers
- Prepare light meals
- Provide transportation
- Share times of joy or sadness
back to top
Hospice Volunteer Training
Training and ongoing support are provided to all volunteers, so experience is not required. It’s a great opportunity to learn new skills and enhance existing ones.
We offer 12 hours of specialized training for Hospice volunteers. The training runs 2 hours a week for 6 weeks. Various members of the Hospice team give an overview of Hospice and its philosophy. Communication, pain management, the role of nurses, social workers and home health aides are among the topics covered in training.
back to top
Administrative & Outreach Volunteers
- Perform clerical work, such as mailings, photocopying, filing
- Assist staff with special events
- Assist at community health fairs
- Fundraising activities
back to top
Community Thrift Shop
Visiting Nurse Service and Hospice of Suffolk benefits year- round from the efforts of a great group of volunteers who give their time and talent to the Community Thrift Shop at 274 New York Avenue in Huntington.
For more information about volunteering please contact Pat Quigley, Volunteer Coordinator at pquigley@vnshs.org or (631) 261-7200 ext. 516.
back to top |
Hospice recognizes the dignity, comfort and choices of every patient.
Our goal is to work in partnership with each patient, their doctor and their families to create an individualized plan to meet all of their physical, psychosocial, emotional and spiritual needs.
- A private room and bathroom will afford the patient with the ability to keep personal belongings close and give the family the opportunity to have uninterrupted visiting.
- Visiting hours are unlimited and unrestricted by age. With advanced permission, family pets may also visit. If you’ve been sick, remember it’s safer for all patients if you telephone or email your loved one instead of visiting in person.
- While professional staff is available to provide direct care, families are welcome and encouraged to participate in the care of their loved ones.
- A comfortable sleeper chair is available for overnight visitors as well as a television, refrigerator, telephone and internet cable access in each room.
- A washer and dryer are provided on-site so the patient’s family can launder personal belongings.
- The Hospice House kitchen is available to all patients and their families to eat a meal together or prepare a light snack.
- Patients and visitors can spend time together in the Hospice House living room, sunroom, meditation room, and outside in the serene memorial garden.
- A social worker is available to provide support and counseling or just a quiet listening ear. The social worker will hold a family conference within 24-48 hours of the patient’s admission to the Hospice House.
- A unique, wireless pendant system enables the patient to instantly alert the nurse on duty that assistance is needed.
- The nursing staff at the Hospice House has years of experience in pain and symptom management. The goal of the entire staff is to maintain the patient’s comfort and enhance quality of life.
- The advance directive of a DNR allows us to provide all necessary palliative measures to insure the patient’s comfort while allowing a peaceful, natural death.
- Individualized bereavement support is available to loved ones, offering comfort and counseling for up to 13 months.
The Hospice House is a smoke-free environment
The Hospice House cannot be responsible for valuables such as jewelry or cash. These items should be left at home.
Mail should be addressed to:
(Patient’s Name)
Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk
Hospice House
101 Laurel Road
East Northport, NY 11731
To contact the Hospice House, please call 631-930-9399
To email a patient, click here |
