Hospice care is an underutilized and often misunderstood type of care. Many more people are appropriate for hospice care than actually use it.

Hospice patients are certified by a physician to have a 6-month or less prognosis for an incurable or life-limiting illness based on a clinical evaluation regarding the normal course of the disease.  Patients and their families should have open discussions with their physician to help make the decision to choose hospice care.

If your physician is hesitant to discuss hospice care, you are welcome to call Hospice of the Comforter for more information.  Our clinical liaisons are also happy to meet with you and your physician to discuss hospice care together. Friends, family or the patient may make the initial call to Hospice of the Comforter. We will then work to gain the referral from the patient’s physician.

Hospice care replaces curative treatments, which can often be aggressive and futile, with a high-tech, high-touch system of comfort care at home. Though a patient is required to have six months or less to live, those who live longer will continue to receive hospice care for as long as they need it.

Our service area requires that our patients live in Orange, Osceola or Seminole county.  If you live elsewhere, we would be happy to refer you to hospice in your area.  A primary caregiver should be available to be an active participant in the patient’s care.  The patient should be in a safe environment if there is no caregiver in the household.