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Lifespan - Good Samaritan Hospice Care
Medicare/Medicaid as a program certifies Good Samaritan Hospice Care (GSHC) for patients and families facing an advanced, life-limiting diagnoses. Since 1981, GSHC has been providing hospice services to residents of Calhoun County. Service was expanded to Barry County in 1990 when Barry Community Hospice became a division of GSHC.
Mission Statement
Good Samaritan Hospice Care exists to bring competent physical, emotional, spiritual, and practical care to patients facing a life-limiting diagnoses and their loved ones. The agency seeks, through its interdisciplinary team, to alleviate pain and symptoms, to bring comfort and dignity, to enable patients preferably to remain in their own familiar surroundings, and to help the family face the death and rebuild their own lives.
Goals of Hospice Care
- To offer comfort and dignity to those facing an advanced life-limiting illness
- To make it possible for the patient to remain in familiar surroundings
- To provide physical, emotional, spiritual, and practical care
- To help the family face the death of their loved one and rebuild their lives Admission Requirements
- Consent by patient to participate in the program
- Certification of advanced life-limiting illness by attending physician
- Residence in the GSHC service area
Who is Eligible for Hospice Care?
Any physician, patient, family member, relative, friend, minister, nurse or hospital discharge planner may request hospice care. Anyone may request information by phone or in person at the GSHC office. If the patient meets the admission requirements, a meeting will be arranged to explain GSHC services to the patient and/or family.
GSHC does not discriminate against any person on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, martial status, citizenship, height, weight, disability or any other basis prohibited by law.Who Pays for Hospice Care?
GSHC is a non-profit program, and services are provided to all families regardless of ability to pay. Hospice care is a benefit of Medicare, Medicaid, and many private medical insurance policies. The program is able to serve this community thanks to generous support through contributions, memorials, and the United Way.
You can help Hospice by:
- Making a contribution. All donations are tax deductible.
- Becoming a GSHC volunteer.
Good Samaritan Hospice Care Team
- Patients: Patients choose the care they wish to receive and work with other team members to plan their care.
- Families: Families, as defined by the patients, participate in the planning and provision of the care, focusing on safety and comfort of the patient.
- Physicians: The GSHC Medical Director and the family physician work together to coordinate and prescribe patient care.
- Nurses: Nursing care focuses on controlling pain and managing physical symptoms, enabling the family to remain closely involved in the care.
- Social Workers: Social workers help the patient and family recognize and manage the unique emotions they are experiencing. They may also assist with social and financial needs, funeral planning, and coordination of community resources.
- Home Health Aides: Home Health Aides provide personal care and comfort for the patient by assisting with cleanliness, safety, nutritional intake, and emotional support.
- Spiritual Care Providers: Patients and families may choose to have their personal clergy become part of the GSHC team. Volunteer spiritual care providers are available upon request.
- Volunteers: Volunteers serve in a variety of ways, giving whatever help is necessary to provide patients and families with comfort, dignity, and support.
- Therapists: Speech, physical, and occupational therapists and dietitians are available as needed.
- Bereavement Staff: Members of the bereavement staff help the family cope with grief after death through education and support. These services are available to all persons in the community who have experienced losses.
- Respite Care
- Home Medical Equipment
- Pharmacy: Pharmacy services are available 24 hours a day. Medications are available for unexpected situations requiring pain and symptom management .
- Inpatient Services: Hospitalization for pain control and symptom management is available at area hospitals.
- Emergency on-call assistance is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Business hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Volunteers
Volunteers are an integral part of Good Samaritan Hospice Care. They must complete a comprehensive seven-week training course, which is offered twice a year.
Patient/family care: Volunteers are needed to work directly with patients and their families to provide a variety of services designed to support the families in their efforts to care for the patient at home. Services include companionship, child care, transportation, light housework, and respite care (staying with the patient to allow family members to leave the home for a few hours).
Bereavement: Services to families in bereavement are designed to support and assist them as they experience grief and begin to look toward the future. Volunteers provide support to families for up to 13 months following a death.
Office Support: Opportunities include typing, filing, collating mailings, updating computer lists, and helping with a quarterly newsletter.
Courier Service: Volunteer couriers pick up prescriptions from physicians' offices and deliver them to pharmacies. They also help with delivering patient supplies.
Community: Volunteers may wish to join the Speakers' Bureau for public speaking engagements throughout the GSHC service area.