Home Health Care Services

Facing a life-limiting illness can be devastating - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Patients and caregivers must deal with complex questions and choices about treatments, medications, and pain management. If a patient has made the choice to pursue aggressive or life-extending treatment for a progressive or incurable illness, and desires pain management or symptom control at home, the Palliative Home Health Care Program of The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc. may be a suitable choice.

What is Palliative Home Health Care?

Palliative care is pain management and symptom control for patients who may be currently seeking life-extending treatments. It is offered through our licensed home health care program, and many aspects of palliative care are applicable early in the course of an illness. The goal of palliative care is the achievement of the highest quality of life for patients and their families. Each patient in our program has access to our team of nurses, home health aides, social workers, spiritual care counselors and trained volunteers.

How is the Palliative Home Health Care Program different from the Hospice Program?

Our Hospice Care Program requires a physician to certify that a patient's terminal illness carries a life expectancy of six months or less if the disease runs its normal course. Hospice patients have chosen not to pursue curative, aggressive treatments. However, our Palliative Care Program offers comfort care for patients who may be seeking life-prolonging therapies for their progressive or incurable illnesses, and may have a life expectancy of more than six months. An interdisciplinary team will determine on a case-by-case basis whether a patient is appropriate for this program. Palliative care includes pain and symptom management, as well as emotional and spiritual support, if requested.

Does insurance pay for the Palliative Home Health Care Program?

Coverage may be available under the home health benefits of Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance. If these insurance options do not apply, a self-pay program is available and is administered on a sliding fee scale. No one is ever turned away due to an inability to pay.

Admission into the palliative home health care program is made without regard to age, gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, diagnosis or ability to pay for services. No one is ever turned away due to the inability to pay. However, certain criteria must be met prior to receiving services:

• The patient must have a progressive or incurable illness.

• Patients with both cancer and non-cancer illnesses are appropriate.

• The patient's personal physician must agree to continue managing the patient's care, or the patient may choose the Hospice Medical Director as their attending physician.

• The patient must be living in our service area, which includes St. Joseph, Marshall, Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, LaGrange, LaPorte and Starke Counties in Indiana.