Hospice Care is a Service, Not a Place

For many families, the word hospice still conjures an image of a building – a final stop. Jan Amato is on a mission to change that image. Hospice is not a place; it’s care at your front door.

“Hospice is a service that comes to you, wherever you lay your head at night,” said Amato, a community relations specialist for Emmanuel Hospice. “Nearly 100% of what we do is routine hospice care for patients in their private homes or assisted living, skilled nursing and independent living communities.”

Amato has spent the past eight years with Emmanuel Hospice educating the community about end-of-life care. Her goal is simple: break the stigma and replace fear with facts.

In her community presentations, she explains that hospice is a Medicare benefit everyone has a right to when they’re medically eligible. Once someone is enrolled in hospice, a care team begins visiting them in their own home or facility on a regular schedule, based on their individual needs and wishes.

As an example, Amato shared that every care team will include a nurse who typically sees the patient once a week to do a physical assessment, manage medications and provide caregiver education and support.

In addition, home health aides may visit one, two or more times a week to assist with personal care. Social workers and spiritual caregivers visit as often as needed to check in on mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

At Emmanuel Hospice, a patient may also see a music therapist, massage therapist, volunteers with pets and specialists who facilitate legacy projects, virtual reality experiences, essential oils and more.

“People are often surprised to learn we have board-certified music therapists and licensed massage therapists on staff, who can help with symptom management and may even reduce the need for medication,” Amato added. “The important thing to note is that the patient is at the center of the care plan. They tell us which services are important to them, and that can flex as needs change.”

Visits can increase if symptoms escalate or decrease if patients are stable, according to their wishes. Families also have 24/7 access to a hospice professional by phone.

“When we say we’re here for you 24/7, people sometimes think we’re moving in,” Amato said. “What we mean is you have access to us any time. Your call will be answered by a hospice employee who has access to patient charts and can triage what’s going on.”

She describes hospice as becoming a patient and family’s new first call for health issues.

“If there's a fall or symptoms are out of control, you call us day or night, and nurses are available to visit when needed,” she said. “If you need to go to the hospital, we’ll send an ambulance and one of our nurses will meet you there to advocate for you.”

Unlike hospital-based care, hospice providers strive to maintain consistent teams for individual patients. Amato shared that Emmanuel Hospice has dedicated team members assigned to certain areas and facilities in the community, so patients generally see the same nurse case manager, aide, social worker and spiritual caregiver.

Beyond patient care, Amato also likes to remind community members that hospice supports the entire family, providing anticipatory grief support to loved ones and helping them understand what to expect every step of the way.

“We are end-of-life experts here to walk the journey with you,” Amato said.

For more information, call 616.719.0919 or visitEmmanuelHospice.org.