National Hospice and Palliative Care Organizations confirm that when faced with a terminal illness, most people desire to be cared for at home by loved ones. Their greatest fear is of pain, discomfort and lack of control.
Since 1984, People's Hospice has been addressing these concerns by providing end-of-life care to the residents of North Central West Virginia. People's Hospice, a department of United Hospital Center, provides care at home to individuals in the final phase of a terminal illness. Hospice neither hastens nor postpones death, but affirms life, emphasizing quality, not length.
The hospice team focuses on relieving the patient's pain and controlling the symptoms of the illness to allow them to spend the remaining months with family and friends. People's Hospice also provides support to family members to help them care for their loved one at home. Bereavement services are also offered for up to a year following the loss of a loved one.
There is no set time frame for hospice services. A general guideline is that patients and their physician decide that a cure is no longer possible, that the length of life is measured in months instead of years and the disease is progressive and irreversible. All end-stage diseases are covered by hospice and services are provided to individuals of all ages.
With the patient's permission, anyone can make a referral to People's Hospice. Upon receiving approval by the patient's physician, a hospice team member will contact the family to explain hospice services as well as to assess the patient's needs.
Hospice services are provided by a team that includes registered nurses, physician services, dieticians, volunteers, clergy, bereavement counselors, home health aides, social workers and therapists. People's Hospice provides service to residents of Harrison, Marion, Doddridge, Taylor, Lewis, Upshur, Barbour, Monongalia and Wetzel Counties.
Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance provides reimbursement for hospice benefits. However, admission to People's Hospice is based on individual need and a patient is not denied services due to the inability to pay. United Way dollars help to support patients who are under or un-insured.
People's Hospice is committed to providing quality, end-of-life care to the residents of North Central West Virginia. As part of this effort, People's Hospice is participating in the We Honor Veterans Partnership Program with the Veteran's Administration. This program is designed to better meet the needs of veterans and their families at the end of life.
People's Hospice maintains a Bereavement Library which is available to the public, regardless of whether or not a family has received hospice services. The library is located at the People's Hospice office in the Clarksburg Clinic on Davisson Run Road in Clarksburg. People's Hospice also welcomes participation from the community through volunteerism. Speakers are available to provide information on hospice as well as planning for end-of-life.
Residents are encouraged to contact People's Hospice with any questions regarding hospice services. Suggestions or comments for improving the end-of-life care needs of the community are also welcome. People's Hospice is accredited by the Joint Commission and is a Medicare Certified Agency. People's Hospice can be reached at 304-624-2424.
