Lourdes Hospice and Palliative Care

Hospice - It's About How You Live

Hospice and Palliative Care is dedicated to supporting patients and their families throughout life during times of transition, illness, death and grief.

Considered to be the model for quality, compassionate care for people facing a life limiting illness or injury, hospice and palliative care involve a team-oriented approach to expert medical care, pain and symptom management and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient's needs and wishes. Support is also provided to the patient's loved ones as well.

The focus of hospice relies on the belief that each of us has the right to die a natural, pain-free death with dignity, and that our loved ones will receive the necessary support to do so.

Hospice Team

The hospice team consists of the patient and his or her family, and the patient's own physician directing service in consultation with the specially trained hospice staff of physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, therapists, personal care aides and volunteers.

Admission Criteria

The patient has a diagnosis or injury with a life limiting prognosis. The diagnosis is not limited to cancer. The patient's physician must recommend and certify the patient is appropriate for hospice care.

The patient seeks comfort measures instead of aggressive, curative or life prolonging therapies.

The patient needs a family member or friend who can act as "primary care person" who can coordinate the patient care and supervision when the patient can no longer be left alone.

Patient Care Settings

Care is provided in a number of different settings including:

• A patient's home (this includes assisted living facility and boarding home
• Skilled nursing facilities that hospice has a contract with: Contracted Skilled Nursing Home Facilities
• Area hospitals for brief inpatient stay for acute symptom management. Contracted Area Hospitals for inpatient stays
• For respite care at Lourdes Hospital. The term respite implies there are no major changes in the patient’s overall condition. Respite care is covered under the Hospice Medicare Benefit, which means that if the patient is willing and the usual caregivers require a break from care giving, the patient can receive short-term respite care in Lourdes Hospital for up to 5 days, after which the patient is transferred back home.

Who Pays for Hospice Care?

• Medicare
• Medicaid
• Most private insurance, including HMOs and Managed Care Organizations have some form of Hospice Benefit.
• A Patient Assistance Program is available for those without Hospice Benefit or without insurance who qualify.

Hospice Volunteers

These concerned men and women 18 years and older give generously of their time and talents to assist Hospice patients and their families.

Interested individuals take specialized volunteer training classes which are offered throughout the year at Lourdes Hospice.

Upon completion of training, volunteers select the area of involvement in the program they wish to pursue which best suits their time, skills and interest.

To obtain information about the Hospice program, contact Susan Mason, Lourdes Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, at 270-415-3640.

Bereavement Program

• The program assists bereaved families in working through the grieving process.
• Hospice maintains regular contacts for 13 months following the death of a loved one.
• Support is offered through contacts or numerous support groups.
• Bereavement Memorial Services are held quarterly in the Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel or a local church.

To obtain information about Lourdes Hospice Bereavement Program, contact Leah Fondaw, Bereavement Coordinator at 270-415-3607.

Speakers Bureau

The Speakers Bureau provides speakers at no cost to the community. The speakers include trained Hospice employees, volunteers and advisory board members who can discuss a variety of Hospice related topics.

• Program topics may include but are not limited to: Hospice - A Special Kind of Caring; Dealing With Death; Children's Grief; Hospice Volunteerism; Grief, Loss and Bereavement; Hospice in Health Care Facilities; Advance Care Planning
• Speaking engagements are tailored to fit the audience's individual interests and questions are always welcome.
• To schedule a speaker, contact Lourdes Hospice at 270-415-3636.

Referrals

Anyone may make a referral to Hospice by calling the Intake Department at 270-415-3636.

Counties Served

Donations to Hospice

People often find great comfort after the death of a loved one by making a contribution to Hospice and Palliative Care.

Acknowledgements are sent to the family of the deceased. Contributions are tax deductible. If you would like to make a contribution, send your check to Lourdes Hospice at P.O. Box 7100 Paducah, KY 42022-7100 or to Lourdes Foundation with your donation designated to Hospice.

Paducah Lourdes Hospice & Palliative Care Hipp Building 2855 Jackson Street Paducah, KY 42003 270-415-3636 or toll free 800-870-7460	Mayfield Lourdes Hospice & Palliative Care 225 West Water Street Mayfield, KY 42066 270-247-3047 or toll free 800-440-3047
Wickliffe Lourdes Hospice & Palliative Care 134 Phillips Drive Wickliffe, KY 42087 270-335-5758 or toll free 800-214-9894	Metropolis Lourdes Hospice & Palliative Care 616 Market Street Metropolis, IL 62960 618-524-3757 or toll free 800-595-3647

The following links provide additional information about Hospice & Palliative Care:

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Caring Connections

Hospice Net