Home Health and Hospice

Hospice Philosophy
Pulaski Memorial Hospice believes that death is a natural process of life, which should be accompanied by dignity. Hospice accommodates the patient, not the disease; comfort, not cure; quality of life, not length. Hospice neither hastens nor postpones death. It affirms life and regards dying as a normal process.

• Physician
• Registered Nurse
• Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapies
• Clergy Services
• Social Worker Services
• Personal Care
• Bereavement Services up to 13 months following the death of a loved one
• Dietician
• Volunteer Service
• 24 Hour On-Call Services

• Pulaski
• Starke
• Marshall
• Fulton
• Cass
• White
• Jasper

Hospice Volunteers
If you are looking for an opportunity to help someone less fortunate than you, we can help you. Volunteers are used in three different areas:

• Patient Care
• Clerical Help
• Public Relations & Fundraising

Volunteer Training
Volunteers will receive 15 hours of training which can be scheduled at their convenience. All volunteers go through extensive training that includes:

• Hospice philosophy
• Concepts of care
• Symptom management
• Psychological and physiological aspects of terminal illness
• Communication and listening
• Emergency procedures
• Grief and bereavement

Financial Information
For many families, hospice care may involve Medicare Hospice benefits. These benefits can be difficult to understand, especially at such a stressful time. Patients and families may wonder if Medicare Hospice benefits are right for their situation. Medicare Hospice benefits are designed for individuals to whom the following criteria applies:

• Have a life expectancy of six months or less, according to their physician
• Wish to no longer receive aggressive treatment of their illness, such as no more chemotherapy, or no resuscitation if the heart stops
• Wish to be made comfortable in their own homes as long as possible
• Have a consenting caregiver who agrees to abide by the patient's wish for comfort oriented care at home or nursing home

• Paying for all medications used in comfort oriented care providing they are related to the terminal condition
• Paying for medical equipment and supplies needed to keep the patient comfortable at home such as hospital beds or oxygen
• Providing hospice aides, nursing, social work, pastoral care, dietary support, occupational, physical or speech therapy and volunteer visits as mutually agreed upon by the patient, family, hospice team and physicians

Some patients may have private insurance that has a hospice benefit. In that case, PMH Hospice would work with the patients within the parameters of their insurance plan to provide the needed care. Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurances cover hospice. For those without insurance coverage, services are provided on a sliding scale basis or through community funds. No one is denied services because of inability to pay.

For more information about hospice financial concerns, call 574-946-2140.