Access to Hospice and Palliative
Care
When patients and families call about hospice care, one of
our first responses is, "Help is just a phone call away."
After a patient is admitted to the hospice program, the interdisciplinary
team (consisting of the patient's own physician, hospice
medical director, nurse, social worker, chaplain, volunteer,
and home health aide, as well as the patient and family)
defines the needed plan of care.
Care is most often provided between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily.
We all know that sickness, patient needs, hospital discharges
and physician requests for patient care hold no timetables.
After regular office hours our on-call staff is available
to handle patient care emergencies and counseling.
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When curative treatment for an illness is no longer appropriate,
hospice care is the fitting choice to complement ongoing
medical care. Since emphasis is on comfort and support, the
decision to enter the hospice program should be made early
enough for the patient to fully benefit from all services.
Hospice is most effective when sufficient time is available
to establish a trusting relationship with the patent and
family. Although the hospice team is highly skilled in crisis
management, the goal of hospice care is to anticipate and
manage symptoms before they become a problem. Hospice care
emphasizes quality of life, focusing on pain management,
symptom control and support for both the patient and caregiver.
By choosing hospice services in a timely manner, caregivers
also benefit from comprehensive services, including counseling,
respite services, spiritual support and assistance with the
day-to-day patient care functions, all of which can strengthen
and enhance their ability to be available for the patient.
Although Saint Barnabas Hospice and Palliative Care Center
and Van Dyke Hospice utilize certain criteria for admission
to hospice services, each patient is considered individually.
With this in mind, the following guidelines are offered:
- The patient must be ill with a life expectancy of approximately
six months or less, if the illness follows its ordinary
course.
- The patient's physician must approve hospice care for
the patient and be willing to provide medical supervision.
Our medical directors can provide medical supervision in
the absence of a primary physician when needed.
- The patient resides in the geographic areas served by
Saint Barnabas Hospice and Palliative Care Center and Van
Dyke Hospice.
The hospice team will explain the palliative nature of hospice
care, which includes the active treatment of pain and the
management of a patient's disease. Patients' questions will
be answered honestly and they will not be given more information
than they are prepared to accept. The hospice team will provide
support to patients and their families.
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Saint Barnabas Hospice and Palliative Care Center with locations
in West Orange, at Monmouth
Medical Center in Long Branch, at Newark
Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark and Van
Dyke Hospice at Community Medical Center in Toms River,
services over eleven counties in New Jersey.
If the patient will be cared for in Essex, Morris, Union,
Hudson, Passaic, Bergen, Upper Somerset, Middlesex or Monmouth
counties, the Saint Barnabas Hospice and Palliative Care
Center can accommodate your needs. In Ocean and surrounding
counties, Van Dyke Hospice should be contacted.
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The Saint Barnabas Hospice and Palliative Care Center and
Van Dyke Hospice work with families to access Private Insurance,
Managed Care Health Systems or Medicare/Medicaid benefits
to utilize the coverage that is available to them. We will
also help families obtain financial assistance and/or services
from community agencies. No one is denied services due to
the inability to pay.
As a certified Medicare/Medicaid provider, eligible patients
who select Medicare's Hospice Benefit are covered for the
following services related to the terminal illness (there
is no deductible):
- Nursing visits
- On-call clinical staff is available after hours and on
weekends to address any problems that may develop. Our
24-hour, on-call system is staffed by registered nurses.
- Prescription drugs related to the terminal illness
- Home health aide services
- Medical supplies and equipment
- Counseling for patients and family members
- Short-term hospitalization for necessary supportive care
or to give family members temporary relief from patient
care responsibilities at home. (If a Hospice patient needs
hospitalization for any reason unrelated to the terminal
illness, traditional Medicare coverage is utilized.) Hospitalization
requires approval by the Hospice Team.
Private insurance may cover some or all of the above services
depending on the individual plans.
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