Hospice care provides holistic, highly specialized care and support for terminally ill patients and their families. Unlike other medical care, the focus of hospice isn’t to cure an underlying disease. The goal is to support the highest quality of life possible for whatever time remains.

The Hospice Benefit provides access to an array of support for you and your family that addresses the medical, emotional and spiritual needs that accompany a terminal illness including:

• Development of personalized plan of care based on ever-changing disease progression, needs, wishes and lifestyle
• Around the clock visits from Unity’s care team
• RN phone support 24 hours per day
• Expert pain and symptom management
• Emotional and spiritual support
• Prescription and over-the-counter medications, medical equipment, and supplies related to life-limiting illness
  • Medications for pain, anxiety, depression, shortness of breath and other symptoms?
  • Commode
  • Nebulizer
  • Hospital bed
  • Walker
  • Wheelchair
  • Incontinence and skin care products
  • And more…
• Lab and other diagnostic tests necessary to achieve optimum comfort care
• Short-term respite care at Unity Meng Hospice Residence or a skilled nursing home for up to five days at a time to provide caregiver relief
• Inpatient care at Unity Meng Hospice Residence (A room and board fee applies).
• Grief support

Hospice is for people with any serious illness that are seeking comfort care rather than a cure. Knowing when to consider hospice can be overwhelming. Keep in mind care can start as soon as a terminal diagnosis is given. Most people who receive hospice care say they wish they had started care sooner. Research shows enrolling in care early helps increase both quality of life and length of life. (link to studies). Hospice also helps ease the emotional stress on family, decreases the family's likelihood of experiencing complicated grief and provides peace of mind that they have done everything possible.

Here are some early signs and symptoms hospice care may be appropriate.

• Numerous visits to the emergency room or hospital for complications of disease
• Frequent calls or multiple visits to doctor’s office
• Increased pain, and current pain medications seem less effective
• Shortness of breath, even while resting 
• Significant, unintentional weight loss
• Spends most time in a chair or bed
• Needs assistance with eating, dressing, grooming, walking, taking medications
• Frequent falls
• Chooses to focus on quality of life and comfort rather than a cure for a disease/illness

Unity brings hospice care to you. Our care team makes visits anywhere you call home throughout our 14 county service area. Whether you reside in your own home or apartment, a family member’s home, Unity Meng Hospice Residence, an assisted living facility or skilled nursing home, Unity will be there to provide an extra layer of support.  

Hospice care is covered by Medicare and Medicaid. For those not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid, most private insurance plans as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs include a hospice benefit.

While receiving hospice, your Medicare, Medicaid or private health insurance policy continues to cover certain health services, treatments and medicines that are medically necessary but are not related to your terminal illness.

If you do not have health insurance and do not qualify for Medicare, financial assistance may be available. As a nonprofit organization, Unity offers CommUnity Care, a financial assistance program ensuring everyone, regardless of financial means, has access to quality end-of-life care. A Unity Billing Coordinator will work with you to determine if you qualify for CommUnity Care.

Prior to enrolling in Unity’s hospice program, we make every attempt to verify your insurance coverage to provide you with the information you need to make the best decision for you. A thorough review of hospice benefits will be shared during your admission visit.

You can change your mind and stop hospice care for any reason at any time. Similarly, if you stop hospice care and later want to return to it, you can do that, too. 

While most patients in hospice make an advance directive stating a preference to not be resuscitated or intubated, this is not a requirement.  

Unity is here to support you 24-hours per day, seven days per week. After “normal business hours”, simply call Unity at 920-338-1111. Our answering service will page a triage nurse who will return your call to address the concern. 

Anyone can make a referral to hospice – a patient, family member, friend, spiritual leader, social worker or doctor. After the information is received by Unity, our staff will contact the patient’s primary doctor to verify that the patient is appropriate for hospice. Early referrals ensure the patient and family can benefit from all that hospice care provides.

Oftentimes doctors wait too long to recommend hospice care. This is part of the reason many receive hospice care so late in their course of illness, missing out on months of personalized care and support to enhance quality of life.

If you think you and your family could benefit from the support of home care visits from a team who specialize in pain and symptom management, assistance with bathing and medication management, emotional and spiritual support, ask your doctor if hospice might be something to consider now, or in the near future. You can also call Unity now to request care. We’ll connect with your primary doctor on your behalf to ensure eligibility.  

All hospice agencies work within the guidelines set forth by Medicare. However, all hospice providers are not the same. There are differences often tucked away in the small details. Choosing a hospice provider is one of the most important decisions you will make for yourself, a loved one and your family.

Remember, you have the right to choose a provider. Ensure you receive the compassionate, quality care you deserve by using this checklist in evaluating and comparing hospice providers. 

Yes. Children and their families can receive hospice services beginning even before the child is born and continue, for some children, beyond the age of 21, depending on the symptoms. Kourageous Kids, Unity’s hospice program, is delivered by specialty trained staff who tailor services to each child’s age and developmental level, and to the needs of the entire family.

Sadly, more Americans die from heart disease than any other condition, including cancer.  All too often, people with advanced cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease, heart failure and stroke, and their families are not made aware of how hospice and palliative care provides holistic support to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.   

Unity is here to improve the quality of life for you and your loved ones facing advanced cardiovascular disease with our innovative, Advanced Cardiac Care Program, established nationally in collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA) and National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI). Together, we’ll prevent emergency room and hospital visits, by providing the care, support and information necessary to manage symptoms in the comfort of your home.

Hospice care is often misunderstood, causing many people who would benefit from the Medicare-covered service to delay seeking support or forgoing it altogether. Learn the facts. Then choose hospice for optimal quality of life for the time that remains.

MYTH: HOSPICE IS A PLACE.

Hospice is a philosophy of holistic care focused on providing the hiqhest quality of life and peace of mind for patients, families, and caregivers facing terminal illness. A dedicated team of compassionate experts provide pain control and symptom management as well as the emotional and spiritual support families need to ensure the end-of-life journey is comfortable and dignified. Hospice is not a place. Care takes place wherever the patient calls home such as a private residence, assisted living facility, nursing home, hospital, or inpatient hospice facility.

MYTH: HOSPICE CARE IS ONLY FOR THE LAST DAYS OF LIFE.

Hospice patients can receive care for six months or longer, depending on the course of illness. Family members receive emotional and spiritual support throughout the end-of-life journey and grief support as needed, after the death of their loved one. Experts agree hospice is most beneficial when provided for a minimum of 3 months.

MYTH:  All HOSPICE PROGRAMS ARE THE SAME.

Although all hospice providers are required to provide basic core services, major differences exist in the depth and breadth of support provided, as well as their level of expertise.  Studies indicate that nonprofit providers deeply embedded in their communities deliver the highest quality of care, understanding their pivotal role in supporting community members during this tender time. They put people over profits. Non-profits provide more patient visits, more experienced staff, an inpatient hospice facility, and grief center.  They put people over profits.

MYTH:  HOSPICE CARE ONLY SUPPORTS THE PATIENT.

Hospice care is for patients and their families and friends. Some of the greatest benefits hospice provides, in addition to its comforting care for the patient, is the peace of mind family and friends receive knowing their loved one is in good hands. As a family-centered concept of care, hospice focuses on much on the grieving family as on the dying patient.  Respite care, grief counseling, ore.

MYTH: HOSPICE IS GIVING UP HOPE.

Receiving hospice care does not mean giving up hope or that death is imminent. Hope for a cure is replaced with a new hope: to live life as fully as ever and achieve personal goals like a final trip or spending quality time with family and friends. The gift of hospice is its capacity to help families see how much can be shared at the end-of-life through the personal and spiritual connections left behind.

MYTH: HOSPICE CARE IS EXPENSIVE.

Hospice care is a model of care that’s actually designed to lower healthcare costs by preventing unnecessary ER visits and hospitalizations.

The truth is that hospice care is 100% covered by Medicare and Medicaid. For those not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid, most private insurance plans, HMOs, managed care organizations, as well as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, also offer coverage the hospice benefit

If you do not have health insurance, nonprofit hospice organizations, such as Unity, offer CommUnity Care, a financial assistance program ensuring everyone, regardless of financial means, has access to quality end-of-life care.  Unlike other types of healthcare, the patient and family together are considered a unit of care under the hospice benefit.

MYTH:  ONCE I CHOOSE HOSPICE CARE, I CAN’T CHANGE MY MIND AND DISCONTINUE SERVICES.

You can stop hospice care at any time for any reason.  For example, some patients decide to stop hospice care to pursue a new, aggressive treatment that becomes available. If you stop hospice care and later want to return to it, you can reenroll whenever you wish as long as you meet the hospice eligibility criteria. The decision to start and stop care is entirely based on patient choice.. 

MYTH: HOSICE CARE MEANS I HAVE TO GIVE UP MY DOCTOR AND ROUTINE CARE.

Your family doctor or specialist is encouraged to remain engaged and will collaborate with the hospice medical team. The hospice team focuses on comfort and managing symptoms. They are the doctor’s eyes and ears outside of the clinic setting.

MYTH: HOSPICE CARE REQUIRES STOPPING ALL MEDICATIONS.
Hospice does not require anyone to stop medications.  Medications that contribute to the patient's well-being are continued.  Medications that are no longer providing benefit, causing unwanted side effects that add to the patient’s discomfort,  or are aimed at curative treatments for the primary illness may be discontinued. The focus of hospice care is on comfort and quality of life, so the hospice team will work with the patient to review their medications and create a plan that aligns with these goals. 

MYTH: HOSPICE CARE IS LIMITED TO SIX MONTHS

To qualify for hospice care, a physician must certify that the patient has a life expectancy of six months or less if the illness follows its normal course. Although this six-month prognosis is the initial requirement to being care, hospice support can continue indefinitely as long as the patient remains medically eligible.  If a patient outlives their prognosis, they can be re-certified for hospice care by their physician and the hospice medical director, with no federal limit.  Hospice care is typically provided for individuals with a life expectancy of six months or less. However, this is not a strict time limit. Hospice care can continue as long as the patient meets the following criteria: Has a terminal illness, Has chosen comfort care over curative treatments, and Requires ongoing medical care and support. In some cases, a patient's life expectancy may exceed six months, but they may still be eligible for hospice care if their condition is deteriorating rapidly and they require significant support.  Ultimately, the duration of hospice care is determined by the each patient's needs and the progression of their illness.

MYTH: HOSPICE HASTENS DEATH.

Research published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found patients who receive hospice care actually live longer than those who don’t use hospice care. The goal of hospice is to ensure the patient is comfortable and lives life fully with family and friends.

MYTH: I NEED TO WAIT FOR MY DOCTOR TO RECOMMEND HOSPICE CARE.

Oftentimes doctors wait too long to recommend hospice care. Many doctors have to a reluctance to discuss end-of-life care or fear discouraging a patient's hope. This is part of the reason many receive hospice care so late in their course of illness, missing out on months of personalized care and support to enhance quality of life. Many people who enroll later wish they had started sooner. If you think you and your family could benefit from the support of home care visits from a team who specialize in pain and symptom management, assistance with bathing and medication management, emotional and spiritual support, ask your doctor if hospice might be something to consider now, or in the near future. You can also call a hospice program directly.  They will connect with your primary doctor on your behalf to ensure you meet eligibility criteria.  

MYTH: HOSPICE IS ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN ACCEPT DEATH.

While those affected by terminal illness struggle to come to terms with death, hospice gently helps them find a way at their own speed. Many hospices welcome inquiries from families who are unsure about their needs and preferences. Hospice chaplains and social workers are available to discuss all options and facilitate family decisions.

MYTH: HOSPICE CARE IS ONLY FOR SENIORS.

Although the majority of hospice patients are older, hospice care benefits patients of all ages, infants to young adults to senior citizens. In fact, families can receive hospice services beginning even before a child is born. In the event you are in need of pediatric hospice care, be sure to choose a hospice program with experienced, specialty trained pediatric staff who tailor services to each child’s age and developmental level, as well as the needs of the entire family.

MYTH: HOSPICE IS ONLY FOR CANCER PATIENTS.

While cancer remains a common reason to seek hospice care, there are a wide range of life-limiting illnesses, including many non-cancer diagnoses, that greatly benefit from holistic care.  Health conditions that benefit include advanced heart (CHF), lung (COPD), kidney, AIDS and liver disease, diabetes with severe complications, as well as neurological conditions like Dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, and Multiple Sclerosis.

MYTH: HOSPCE PATIENTS MUST SIGN A DNR.

A  “Do Not Resuscitate” (DNR) order is never required during hospice care at any time. A DNR is an order written by a doctor and placed in the medical chart that instructs all medical staff not to try to revive the patient in the event their breathing or heartbeat stops. This means doctors, nurses, and emergency medical technicians will not initiate any emergency life-saving procedures. While most patients in hospice complete an advance directive stating a preference to not be resuscitated or intubated, this is not a requirement. There is no right or wrong answer regarding resuscitation wishes. The decision of whether to sign a DNR is 100% the decision of the patient and family.

MYTH: HOSPICE CARE IS THE SAME AS HOME HEALTH CARE.

Hospice care and home health care are dramatically different. Unlike home health care, homebound status is not a determining criteria for hospice eligibility. Many hospice patients continue to lead productive and rewarding lives outside the home. Hospice care offers a dedicated care team of end-of-life experts including a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, social worker, certified nursing assistant, chaplain, grief counselor and trained volunteers to support the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families.

MYTH: HOSPICE PATIENTS CANNOT TRAVEL.

While it requires careful planning, hospice patients can and do travel with the support of their hospice team. Hospice care is designed to support patients in living their lives to the fullest, which can include special trips or fulfilling last wishes. A patient's hospice team can help with the logistical, medical, and supply needs for travel, potentially arranging for short-term transfers of care to another hospice program if travel is outside of the service area, or providing support at a local destination. Talk to your hospice nurse a few weeks prior to your trip in order to plan for your specific needs and ensure you have the necessary support.

MYTH: ONLY A DOCTOR CAN MAKE A REFERAL TO HOSPICE.

Anyone can make a referral to hospice – a patient, family member, friend, spiritual leader, social worker, or doctor. The hospice team will then follow up with the patient’s doctor to determine eligibility. Early referrals ensure the patient and family can benefit from all that hospice care provides.