● Boone        ● Montgomery

                                                                                  ● Hendricks   ● Marion 

                                                                                  ● Johnson      ● Owen  

                                                                                  ● Morgan       ● Putnam

Please browse our site for information on Hospice and feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

What is Hospice and Palliative Care?

Considered to be the model for quality, compassionate care for people facing a terminal illness, hospice and palliative care involve a team-oriented approach to expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient's needs and wishes. Support is provided to the patient’s loved ones as well.  At the center of hospice and palliative care is the belief that each of us has the right to die pain-free with dignity, and that our families will receive the necessary support to allow us to do so.  Hospice focuses on caring, not curing and in most cases; care is provided in the patient's home. Hospice care also is provided in freestanding hospice centers, hospitals, and nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.  Hospice services are available to patients of any age, religion, race, or illness. Hospice care is covered under Medicare, Medicaid, most private insurance plans, HMOs, and other managed care organizations.  Palliative care extends the principles of hospice care to a broader population that could benefit from receiving this type of care earlier in their illness or disease process. No specific therapy is excluded from consideration. An individual’s needs must be continually assessed and treatment options should be explored and evaluated in the context of the individual’s values and symptoms. Palliative care, ideally, would segue into hospice care as the illness progresses.

How does hospice care work?

Typically, a family member serves as the primary caregiver and, when appropriate, helps make decisions for the terminally ill individual. Members of the hospice staff make regular visits to assess the patient and provide additional care or other services. Hospice staff is on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  The hospice team develops a care plan that meets each patient's individual needs for pain management and symptom control. The team usually consists of:

• The patient
• The patient's primary caregiver/family member
• The patient's primary physician;
• Hospice physician (or medical director);
• Nurses;
• Home health aides;
• Social workers;
• Clergy or other counselors;
• Trained volunteers; and
• Speech, physical, and occupational therapists, if needed.

Hospice Checklist

Below is a list of things to think about as you consider contacting a local hospice and how you can help to improve access to end-of-life care for your family, friends and in your community.

• Have an advance directive in place that authorizes a person of your choosing to make decisions if you become unable to do so for yourself
• Get the information you need about services provided by hospice
• Make sure you understand how hospice services are paid for
• Discuss your thoughts, concerns and choices with your family and friends
• Talk to your health care agent, family and doctor about your choices
• Draw up a living will of instructions to make known what you want done if, for example, you are seriously ill and wish not to be kept alive by artificial means; you can specify this in your living will.
• Encourage your family and loved ones to complete their own advance directives
• Get to know end-of-life care services that are available to you such as hospice and palliative care providers.  For more information about where to find a hospice or palliative care provider, click here.
• Seek out opportunities to help others who are dealing with end-of-life care issues such as volunteering with a local hospice.

For more information contact Day By Day Hospice at 1668 E Main St Danville, IN 46122 or call (317) 745-4673 / Toll Free/TDD 800-564-7029 or email us at: info@daybydayhospice.com

Day By Day Hospice's Mission Statement:

"We strive to provide high quality care, compassion and support. Affirming life and supporting a dignified death".

                      Member

Copyright © 2006 Day By Day Hospice Inc