FACT: Caregivers at The Elizabeth Hospice recognize hope as a powerful, ever-changing force that continues throughout the time of living and the process of dying. Hospice offers hope for freedom from isolation, loneliness, loss of control and physical pain. Your family will be nurtured and supported with comprehensive grief counseling services during the end-of-life journey and after your loved one’s death.

FACT: Hospice care is available for all individuals with an advanced life-limiting illness. It is not limited to any specific diagnosis.

FACT: The Elizabeth Hospice provides hospice care services in the patient’s home or wherever the patient resides, including residential, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. We adapt to you instead of making you adapt to us.

FACT: Most insurance companies, including Medicare and Medi-Cal, cover the entire cost of hospice care. This includes medications, medical supplies and durable medical equipment such as a hospital bed, oxygen, wheelchair and other items associated with the hospice diagnosis. Most often there is no cost to the patient.

FACT: The goal of hospice is neither to prolong life nor hasten death, but to make the quality of life the best it can be in the patient’s final months, weeks and days. There are no studies that indicate that hospice can hasten death but there are studies showing that some patients live longer when receiving hospice services.

FACT: All hospice providers are not the same. The Elizabeth Hospice is unique in several ways. As a nonprofit hospice, we provide care to everyone in the community; no one in need has ever been turned away for financial reasons. Our hospice caregivers are trained to care for veterans, addressing post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, survivor’s guilt, and soul injury. Additionally, we offer veteran pinning ceremonies to honor and thank veterans for their military service. Our comprehensive grief support services which include individual counseling and support groups are open to all community members, regardless of patient affiliation or how their person died. And we pride ourselves on quality compassionate care. We earned the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission, an independent not-for-profit organization that certifies and accredits healthcare institutions across the US. This certification demonstrates our commitment to quality and dedication to excellence.

FACT: Hospice care is focused on making the patient as comfortable as possible. This means that some patients may choose to stop medications that have heavy side effects. People receiving hospice care are no longer receiving curative treatment. These decisions are made by the patient and their loved ones in consultation with the medical team.

FACT: Hospice care can begin when the patient’s physician gives a prognosis of six months or less if the disease follows the expected course. Hospice often provides a level of comfort and support that results in many people outliving their expected prognosis.

FACT: The hospice team starts by asking patients and families about their goals of care. The care plan is then customized to the patient. No two patients are alike; neither are their care plans.

FACT: The process for signing up for hospice is not complicated. Our hospice team in San Diego and Riverside is available to answer your questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 800.797.2050 (toll-free).