Considering a referral to Hospice of the Foothills?
Hospice of the Foothills believes that everyone should have access to appropriate care. Hospice of the Foothills provides hospice services at no cost to the patient or their family.
Hospice of the Foothills provides its services to eligible individuals throughout all of western Nevada and Placer Counties regardless of age, race, religion, sexual orientation, diagnosis or financial status.
As a health care provider your focus is to keep your patients well and healthy throughout their entire lives. Inevitably, some of your patients will experience a life-limiting illness. We are here for your patients.
How to make a referral to Hospice of the Foothills:
Helpful steps when discussing hospice care with your patient and their family:
- Read Dr. von Gunten’s article, “Discussing Hospice Care”, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
- Establish an appropriate setting for discussion
- Ask the patient and family what they understand
- Find out what they expect will happen
- Discuss overall goals and how Hospice of the Foothills will help achieve them
- Respond to emotions
- Establish and implement the plan
When is it time?
There may come a time when efforts to cure or slow an illness are not working and can even be harmful, rather than helpful. Frequently physicians will continue to pursue treatment because they assume that’s what you would want. Unfortunately, this delay can prevent you from utilizing the time you have left to engage with friends and family while you are able.
Hospice can help ensure that your final months of life are as comfortable and fulfilling as possible for you and your loved ones.
Hospice may be the right choice when:
- The treatments for a disease are not working or are debilitating and life expectancy is six months or less.
- ER visits or hospitalizations become more frequent and result in no real improvement.
- There has been a progressive, unintentional weight loss of more than 10% of the body weight over the past 6 months.
- Recurrent or intractable infections are present.
- An increase in pain, nausea, breathing distress, or other symptoms
- Repeated trips to the emergency room or hospitalizations
- Increased assistance needed for walking, eating, bathing, dressing, or using the restroom
- Decreasing alertness, emotionally withdrawn, sleeping more, or difficulty with comprehension
- You are no longer receiving treatments to cure your disease.