Willowbrook Hospice, Inc.
Frequently Asked Questions
In 1994 Willowbrook Hospice was established to serve terminally ill individuals and their bereaved loved ones in our community. Willowbrook Hospice strives to assist both patient and family members in coping with incurable disease and the final journey of life as well as providing them with as many shared quality moments as possible. |
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Willowbrook Hospice is locally owned and operated by health care professionals. An interdisciplinary team of local professionals and volunteers are dedicated to providing care for patients that prefer to be home during this difficult time. Patients residing in nursing facilities may also receive the same care that home patients receive.
Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions we get about our hospice services. If however, you have a question that is not answered here, please feel free to contact us at (615) 791-8499 or (800) 790-8499.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Hospice
Q. What is hospice?
A. Hospice is an approach to care designed to provide pain and symptom management for terminally ill
individuals and supportive services for their families.
Q. How does hospice work?
A. Hospice services are available to persons who have a limited life expectancy of 6 months or less and the
patient and family have elected to no longer seek curative treatment.
Q. Who makes the decision about entering hospice and when?
A. Ultimately the decision belongs to the patient. At any time during a life-limiting illness, it is appropriate to
discuss all available medical options, including hospice. Hospice services are most effective when chosen
in the early stages of an illness.
Q. How are hospice referrals made?
A. The doctor’s office or hospital discharge planners may contact us with a referral. Other health care
professionals or family members can also make referrals. When we receive the referral for hospice, we will
schedule an appointment with you to explain the services that we are able to provide.
Q. If the patient lives in a nursing home, assisted living, or independent living facility, can they obtain
benefits from hospice care?
A. Yes. When a nursing home, assisted living or independent living facility is the home, the patient may
choose to have hospice services at that location. The care received from our hospice professionals will be
in addition to the care received from the nursing home or assisted living facility.
Q. Who will provide the care?
A. Hospice utilizes a team of professionally trained nurses, social workers, hospice aides, spiritual support
counselor, volunteers and grief counselors to provide comfort care in the home environment.
Q. Are family members involved in hospice?
A. Hospice views the patient and family as a unit of care. Family members and friends are encouraged to
participate in the patient’s care as much as possible.
Q. Are medical supplies or specific equipment needed in the home before care?
A. Willowbrook will assess and recommend any needed equipment and/or supplies. Our care team will assist
as necessary to procure them for the patient.
Q. Does the patient’s physician work with the hospice team?
A. The patient’s physician often makes the referral to hospice and continues to oversee the patient’s plan of
care. They work in coordination with the hospice team.
Q. How does hospice manage pain?
A. By working with the patient’s physician, we are able to help control the patient’s pain using the most up-todate
treatments and medications for pain and symptom relief.
Q. If the patient stabilizes, can they return to regular medical treatment?
A. Certainly. If the patient’s condition improves or the disease seems to be in remission, they can be
discharged from hospice and resume other medical treatment. They may elect to return to hospice later,
should they choose to do so.
Q. Can the patient keep their traditional Medicare Health Plan?
A. Yes. Hospice is a separate benefit under Medicare Part A. The hospice Medicare benefit covers all
services and costs caring for the patient's terminal illness. The patient will continue to use their traditional
Medicare Health Plan to obtain care for any health problems that are not related to their terminal illness.
Q. What is respite care?
A. Respite care is part of the Hospice benefit. This service is offered to give the primary caregiver a rest from the physical and emotional stress of providing daily care. During a period of respite care, the patient will receive care in a Medicare-approved facility such as a nursing home.
Q. Does hospice do anything to make death come sooner?
A. No. Hospice neither hastens death nor postpones it. It allows death to come naturally. Hospice also helps
patients and their families understand the dying process and try to ensure that no one dies alone.
Q. Is hospice care covered by insurance?
A. Medicare nationwide covers hospice services. Most private insurance companies also provide hospice
benefits. Willowbrook will verify insurance benefits when a referral is received.
Q. Does Willowbrook Hospice have staff available at night, weekends and holidays for emergencies?
A. Yes. Willowbrook Hospice has a nurse on call at all times.
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