Hospice

Hospice offers care and support to persons who have a terminal illness with a prognosis of 6 months or less to live.  These individuals, their caregivers, or their family can request Hospice services by calling Hospice and Home Care of Juneau (HHCJ) directly (907 463-6111), or by acquiring a referral from the patient’s physician.

What is Hospice?

Hospice is a philosophy of care that accepts death as a natural part of living and neither hastens nor prolongs the dying process.  Hospice is a comprehensive, patient-oriented and team-oriented program of care that treats and comforts terminally-ill individuals and their families at home or in a home-like setting.  Hospice offers pain management and symptom control.  Hospice provides compassionate care that can help patients live every moment without fear of dying alone or in pain.  Hospice begins with an understanding that a person is more than his or her illness.  We believe that psychological and spiritual pain are as significant as physical pain.  Hospice care is holistic, enncompassing body, mind, and spirit.

What do Hospice services include?

Hospice services include skilled nursing services on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; pain management and symptom control; social work; physical, occupational, and speech therapy; home health aides; in-home volunteer support; and medical equipment loans.

How are Hospice services paid for?

HHCJ is a Medicare certified Hospice agency.  Medicare is billed for services if the patient is Medicare eligible.  HHCJ also will bill Medicaid, private health insurance companies, and the Veterans Administration.  BNo one needing Hopsice care is turned away because of inability to pay.

How can Hospice help me with the grief and bereavement processes?

The interdisciplinary team who works for Hospice, including volunteers, are specially trained to help people deal with end of life care and the grief and bereavement that accompany the loss of a loved one.  Hopsice grief and bereavement services include individual grief counseling, bereavement support groups, referrals to other professionals as appropriate, a lending library and packets of helpful information, a year follow-up with families, and an annual remembrance gathering.