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“We are so thankful for the excellent care the Circle of Life Hospice Staff gave our terminally ill father. Suffering from COPD, he would have benefited greatly from a skilled hospice facility close to home. Such a facility would be a huge asset to our community.”

Delbert and Karla Longley
In Memory of Dean Besco
July 9, 2006

Butterfly

What is Hospice?

Hospice is a special concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life limiting illness no longer responds to cure oriented treatments. The focus of Hospice is to promote quality of life, dignity, patient choice and life closure.

Learn more at the Circle of Life Hospice web site

Who Will Use the Hospice House?

The goal of Hospice is to allow people to spend their final days in the one place they would most want to – Home. In fact, 80% of Americans facing a life-limiting illness would prefer to remain in their homes, free of pain and surrounded by the ones they love. However, many times this is not possible for a variety of reasons. The following are the most common levels of care a Hospice House provides:

  • Inpatient - When a Patient has pain or symptoms that can’t be managed effectively at home. Some medications and treatments are too complex for the home setting. Many require frequent oversight by a trained physician or RN and cannot be performed by a caregiver. Some common symptoms are uncontrolled nausea and pain, respiratory distress and wound care.
  • Respite - Caregivers have a heavy burden in caring for their loved ones. In many cases, the caregiver may need a time of respite to care for themselves or handle other responsibilities. A lot of caregivers are elderly and want to care for their loved one but may need a short break to recuperate. Caregivers may also become sick, need to go out of town for a few days or have other responsibilities to tend to such as work and family functions. Utilizing the Hospice House for respite relieves the caregiver physically and also mentally as they know their loved one is in good hands while they are unable to care for them.
  • Residential - Very simply put, there are some patients who do not wish or are unable to remain at home during the course of their illness. A Hospice House would be a great option for them to comfortably live the last days of their life.

In the above examples, a Hospice House is a precious gift to the patient and their families.