Hospice Program

Clay County Health Department

What Does CCHDH Stand For?

Caring
Committed
Helpful
Devoted
Health-Professionals & Volunteers

Provides caring, compassionate care to the terminally ill and their families.
Has a dedicated team consisting of physicians, nurses, social workers, clergy, health aides and volunteers working together to provide individualized, devoted care.
Provides physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy if appropriate.
Offers 24 hour on-call services.

To find out more information about the Hospice program and to see if it is right for you or someone you know contact:

Brandi Young

Home Care Director

601 E. 12th Street
Flora, IL 62839
Phone: (618) 662-4406
Or 800-544-4406

Serving Clay County and the Surrounding Counties of: Marion, Wayne, Richland, Jasper, Edwards, Wabash and Effingham

Hospice Fact Sheet

Clay County Health Department Hospice is a non profit organization which serves people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given 6 months or less to live.

Hospice became licensed on February 11th, 2003 and accepted their first patient on February 13.

Hospice neither hastens nor postpones the patient’s life but rather it allows the death to occur naturally. Hospice affirms life and believes that death is a personal experience to be dealt with on a one-to-one basis.

We feel we are quite fortunate to assist the patients and families in Clay County and the surrounding communities. We have received several memorials and donations since becoming licensed.

Hospice offers nursing, health aide, social service, pastoral and volunteer services to assist the patient and family. We pay for any medication that is related to the terminal illness to help alleviate the burden at this crucial time.

Mission Statement

Hospice affirms life. It is a program of care and support for persons in the last phases of incurable disease. Hospice neither hastens nor postpones death. Total patient care extends beyond the patient to his/her surviving family. The concept of hospice is that the terminally ill should be allowed to die in comfort and dignity at home with the support of family, friends and/or a member of the hospice team. Physical, emotional, social and spiritual care is provided by a medically supervised interdisciplinary team of professionals and volunteers. Services are available in both the home and in-patient settings.

The Myths of Hospice

What is Hospice?
Hospice includes medical care with an emphasis on pain management and symptom relief. Hospice care is comprised of a team of professionals and volunteers that address the holistic care of the patient and the family, and help them understand the dying process, and emphasize the importance of life….not just the quantity but rather the quality. Death is not saying good-bye forever….just for a season, till we meet again.

Hospice is a place:
Hospice care takes place about 80% of the time in the patient’s home.

Hospice is only for people with cancer:
False. Hospice is for a person who has a terminal illness and has been diagnosed with 6 months or less of life.

Hospice is only for elderly people.
False. Hospice is for anyone that has a terminal illness with a diagnosis of 6 months or less of life.

Hospice is only for dying people.
False. Hospice is a holistic form of care, with the healthcare providers caring for the patient and the family.

Hospice can only help when family members are available to provide care:
False. The terminally ill patient may live alone or with family members. The patient may have a paid caregiver that is not a family member to care for them.

Hospice is for people who don’t need a high level of care:
False. Hospice is serious medicine and requires experienced medical and nursing professionals with skills in symptom control. Hospice offers state-of-the-art palliative care, using advanced technologies to prevent or alleviate distressing symptoms.

Hospice care is expensive:
False. Medicare beneficiaries can use their Medicare hospice benefit anytime, anywhere they choose. Medicare covers virtually all hospice services and requires little if any, out-of-pocket expense. This means that there are no financial burdens incurred by the family, in sharp contrast to the huge financial expenses at the end of life which are incurred when hospice is not used.

Hospice is for when there is no hope:
False. What is hope? Hope is wanting something that we don’t yet have. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

Philosophy

We believe that death is a personal experience best dealt with on a person-to-person basis. We recognize that during a time of impending death, both the patient and the family/significant others need the care and support of informed, capable people who are able to provide objectivity, sensitivity, compassion and technical skills. We believe that the patient and family need assistance in this transitional time to develop their own mental and spiritual concepts. We believe in the patient’s right to autonomy.

Scope of Care

The hospice program is a complex, versatile program which offers palliative and supportive care to dying patients in the home. A multidisciplinary team approach is used to offer a wide range of services to the patient and family. These services may include: nursing, CNA, dietary counseling, pastoral counseling, social worker, speech, physical therapy, volunteers and bereavement counseling.

While the focus of this program is in the home, hospice patients may use the inpatient hospital hospice rooms for pain or symptom management, or respite care. In the home, the services are provided on a part-time, intermittent, regularly scheduled basis, and around-the-clock-basis. On-call personnel are available 24 hours a day including weekends and holidays.

The hospice staff consists of professionally trained and licensed personnel who embrace the hospice philosophy and actively work toward the goals set by the patient, caretaker and hospice team. All personnel are involved with continuing education in hospice.