Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the first modern hospice said, “…you matter to the last moment of your life, and we will do all we can, not only to help you die peacefully, but to live until you die.” At Hospice Community Care it is about life; it is about Compassion for Life.
Hospice care is a coordinated program of comfort (palliative) and supportive care for those patients diagnosed with a life limiting illness. A team of caregivers led by a physician and an RN address the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and their loved ones.
Care may take place in a number of different settings, including one’s home, an inpatient facility or in a nursing home.
Hospice in the Home
A skilled team of registered nurses, nurses’ aides, medical social workers, chaplains, and volunteers, in partnership with the attending physician, provides physical, emotional, and spiritual care and support in the familiar surroundings of the patient’s home. Medical equipment and medications are provided and delivered to the home throughout the care.
Hospice Inpatient Care
Hospice Community Care has taken great pride in providing a comfortable, home-like environment at both of our inpatient units. The role of hospice inpatient care is to provide a focused approach to the management of pain and other symptoms that may be difficult to manage in patients’ homes. We have prominently cared for patients at our inpatient unit at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre Hospital, Luzerne County since 1994. We proudly opened the first, free-standing inpatient unit in our area, in spring 2007, @ 100 William St. @ Clay Ave., Dunmore, Lackawanna County. Click on inpatient unit pictures for a visual tour.
Hospice in the Nursing Home
Supplementing the care offered by the nursing home staff, the hospice team provides expertise for pain and symptom management, additional aide care and emotional and spiritual support for nursing home residents facing a terminal illness.
Hospice Community Care is licensed by the PA DOH, is an authorized provider of Medicare and Medicaid services and has contracts with commercial insurers throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. We are accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP), with deemed status.