What is Hospice?
Hospice is a special kind of care for persons and their families facing an incurable, end-stage illness. Hospice patients are cared for at home or in a facility (nursing home, assisted living facility, hospice house) by a team that includes physicians, nurses, home health aides, social work counselors, non-denominational chaplains and volunteers. The care concentrates on pain control and symptom management so that patients can maximize the quality of the time that remains.  Hospice care focuses on the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs that patients and families experience when dealing with a terminal illness. Click here for more hospice resources.

Why do people choose Hospice?
Hospice provides care wherever one calls home. Whether you live in a home, apartment, assisted living facility, nursing home or elsewhere, we will care for you there. Hospice care allows terminally ill people and their families to remain together in the comfort and dignity of their homes. According to a recent Gallop survey, nine out of ten Americans say they would prefer to be cared for in the comfort of their own home or a family member's home if they were diagnosed with a terminal illness. 

Hospice care is patient and family focused. Services are provided for the patient and family. Hospice care differs from other forms of health care in that it focuses on the patient's support system as well as the patient.

Hospice staff are trained specifically in palliative (comfort) care and symptom control. Hospice staff strive to help patients live their days as peacefully and pain-free as possible. Staff are on-call 24 hours a day.

Hospice care also decreases costly hospitalizations. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, patients not enrolled in hospice care spend 23 of their last days in the hospital, while patients enrolled in hospice spend only eight days in acute care settings.

Does Hospice mean giving up hope?
Choosing hospice care shifts the focus of treatment from aggressive medical curative measures to medical comfort measures.  Hospice does nothing to speed up or slow down the dying process, but accepts death as a natural and inevitable event. Although some mistakenly see hospice care as giving up all hope, studies have demonstrated that hospice patients improve physically and emotionally, because their home and family situations have stabilized, their economic worries are reduced and lastly, but most significantly, their pain is lessened. But, we need early contact with the patient and family to accomplish this. When pain and symptoms of a disease are controlled and medical, social and family support is provided, patients often have a quality, extended life.

When is it time to call Hospice of the Comforter?
Before you need it! Now is the right time if you have end-of-life questions for yourself or someone you love. Getting answers to your questions now will make it easier to make a future decision about hospice care. Call our Referral Department at 407-682-9090 at any time to speak to us about our services.

Are all Hospices the same? Are they connected to each other?
Hospice is not a single place or single organization. There are for-profit hospices and non-profit hospices; some are independent and some are part of larger organizations.  Hospice of the Comforter is the only non-profit, independent hospice serving Orange, Seminole and Osceola Counties. Click here to learn why non-profit hospices provide better care.

What makes Hospice of the Comforter special?
Hospice of the Comforter is a community-based, non-profit hospice that supports the physical, social and spiritual aspects of a person's last journey. Hospice of the Comforter staff believe that they are guests on this intimate journey. We have served the Central Florida community since 1990, longer than any other hospice provider in our area.  We have cared for more than 13,000 patients. We will soon open the only Hospice House in Central Florida. Click here to learn more about Hospice of the Comforter.

How can I get Hospice care?
Your primary physician can refer you.  He or she must certify that you have six months or less to live if your disease or condition continues at a standard pace. Family members, friends, clergy, or health professionals can also make referrals, but you will still need to be seen by a physician. They can do this by calling our Referrals Department at 407-682-9090. Your physician, nurse or healthcare provider is required by law to offer you a choice of hospice providers. 

How do I pay for Hospice care?
Hospice services are covered by Medicaid, Medicare, most private insurance plans and other managed care systems. While some hospices charge patients without coverage on a sliding scale or simply turn them away, Hospice of the Comforter will never turn away a patient due to lack of reimbursement.  We have provided more than $7 million of free care.

Is Hospice care only for cancer patients?
Hospice cares for any patient with any incurable illness with a prognosis of six months or less. Hospice patients have a variety of diagnoses, ranging from cancer, ALS, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease to AIDS, COPD, and end-stage heart, liver, pulmonary or renal disease. Hospice also cares for those failing to thrive or with an unspecified debility. Click here to learn more about common diseases appropriate for hospice care.

What services are provided?
Regular weekly visits by professional team members and 24-hour on-call support
Volunteer services - patient sitting, errands, odd jobs, befriending, bereavement support
Education of family members in the care of patient
Personal care and light housekeeping by a certified nursing assistant/home health aide
Medical equipment, supplies and medication needed for terminal illness
Counseling and social work assistance
Spiritual counseling and support
Short term inpatient care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility for symptom control or        family respite
Comprehensive bereavement programs - adult services and school age children's       programs
Click here to learn more about the hospice professionals who care for our patients

How does Hospice of the Comforter address ethics concerns?
Hospice of the Comforter has an Ethics Committee that functions as an advisory and educational resource.  Its goal is to be a helpful forum for staff and others to process difficult end-of-life ethical issues facing patients, families and the hospice organization. Click here to learn more about the committee and the issues it discusses.

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