"When caring matters most"

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Hospice of Washington County Focus of Hospice Care Hospice of Washington County Team Eligibility Who Pays For Hospice Referrals

Hospice of Washington County P.O. Box 36 Washington, IA 52353 (319)653-7321 State Relay Service Voice: 1-800-735-2943 TDD: 1-800-735-2942

Hospice of Washington County

• is a philosophy of care that assists patients, family and friends during the final stages of terminal illness.
• affirms life and helps patients to "live until they die" by encouraging them to participate in life as fully as possible.
• promotes dignity and emphasizes quality of life for those who choose to die at home in familiar surroundings with those they love.
• neither hastens nor postpones death but helps patients and families view death as a natural process of life

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Focus of Hospice Care

• Comfort, rather than curative care
• 24 hour call, 7 days a week availability
• Pain and symptom control
• Emotional Support
• Spiritual support, as required
• Bereavement support.

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The Hospice of Washington County Team Includes:

• Patient and family
• Personal physician
• Registered nurses and certified nurses aides
• Social Workers
• Pharmacist
• Dietitian
• Physical, occupational and speech therapist
• Chaplain
• Trained volunteers
• Medical Director

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Eligibility...

• The patient is diagnosed with a terminal illness with a limited prognosis.
• The patient must live in Washington County or the surrounding unserved areas.
• The patient and family clearly understand the goal of hospice care is not to cure but to provide care and comfort.

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Who Pays For Hospice...

• Hospice of Washington County uses community donations to provide care for those without hospice insurance. Medicare and Medicaid cover all hospice services. Many private insurance policies pay for all or part of hospice care. No patient is denied care for inability to pay.
• Hospice of Washington County admits patients based on admission criteria without regard to race, color, national origin, handicap or age.

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"One day at a time... this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present. And make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering."

-Ida Scott Taylor

Referrals to Hospice of Washington County should be made as early in the terminal phase as possible.

Early referrals (months before death versus days before death) provides the patient and family more opportunity to work through the following issues:

• Financial and personal arrangements
• Symptom Management
• Grief

Patients, family, physicians, nurses, social workers or discharge planners may call the hospice office for more information regarding services offered by Hospice of Washington County.

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