Q: When is the “right” time for a patient currently receiving home health care to switch to hospice care?
A: A patient receiving home health care requires skilled clinical care and must show improvement from this care. When those goals are no longer applicable, or are not being met, the patient may qualify for hospice care.

Q: What are the benefits, to the patient, of hospice care?
A: When cure is no longer an option, hospice offers a more understanding and comfortable end-of-life experience, and an easier transition for the patient and his/her family. Through the palliative care offered by Steward Hospice Care, the patient remains in the place he/she calls “home”, receives pain management, maintains quality of life (spiritual and emotional support, as well as help with financial issues, companionship, personal care and hygiene), and retains control over his/her day-to-day decisions for as long as possible.

Q: Who orders hospice care?
A: Anyone can request a hospice eligibility evaluation. Referrals may be made by calling 562-291-2052. You only need to supply us with basic patient information; we’ll arrange for one of our admissions clinicians to interview the patient and/or family member, contact the primary physician, and admit the patient if appropriate.

Q: Who does Steward Hospice Care Inc serve?
A: We provide palliative care for adult patients with a wide range of life-limiting illnesses that include, but are not limited to, the following:

AIDS, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, most forms of cancer, most forms of heart disease, stroke, lung/liver/kidney disease, multiple sclerosis.
As practitioners of palliative care, we offer treatments that focus on providing the patient with the maximum level of comfort and quality of life and not on treatment plans intended to cure a patient’s illness.

Q: Who pays for Steward Hospice Care’s services?
A: Steward Hospice Care accepts Medicare, Medi-Cal, private insurance, and cash payments as reimbursement for its services. If the patient is covered through Medicare or Medi-Cal, Steward is paid directly by these programs and there are no out-of-pocket costs to patients or their family. If the patient has private insurance, Steward Hospice Care will contact the insurance provider to determine if, and to what extent, the provider’s policy covers hospice care.

Q: How does the patient ensure him/herself that his/her wishes are honored during, and at the end of, a life limiting illness?
A: Because we believe that everyone has the right to reflect upon and decide the kind of care he/she wants at the end of life, we encourage everyone to become informed about the choices which are available BEFORE there is a medical need to exercise those choices on the spur of the moment. There are 2 primary tools, available free of charge, that help ensure that your wishes are realized; these documents are the Living Will, and the Durable Power of Attorney.

The Living Will is a written document that defines the patient’s wishes about medical treatments and identifies what should, or should not, be done if he/she becomes incapable of expressing his/her treatment preferences.

The Durable Power of Attorney is a written document that allows the patient to name a representative (called a proxy) who is authorized by the patient to speak on his/her behalf regarding healthcare decisions when the patient is not able to speak for him/herself because of illness, injury or a debilitated state.

These two documents, when combined, are referred to as the patient’s Advance Directives.

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) website is an excellent reference source for information and free materials about end-of-life care. We encourage you to visit NHPCO’s Caring Connections website, www.caringinfo.org for detailed information and sample documents. Alternatively, feel free to contact us for free copies of sample Advance Directives.

Q: What services and/or resources are available to the patient’s family when death of their loved one occurs?
A: Steward Hospice Care staff knows that family members will grieve and undergo a natural period of bereavement that is both unique and private, as well as universal and shared, for anyone who has lost a loved one. Accordingly, we are committed to providing families of deceased patients the information, education, resources and grief support they deserve for up to a year after the patient’s death. We welcome the opportunity to discuss our bereavement services with you in person.