Our Hospice Care Services

We are able to provide our patients a wide range of durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, walkers, portable toilets, shower chairs, protective bed pads, and more. We also offer a comprehensive oxygen and respiratory management program designed to help patients who require oxygen therapy or a ventilator to help them breathe properly.

All our DME is delivered to our patients where they live. Each is set up by a Concord Hospice team member who can also offer training and guidance for its use.

Our medical team will review a patient’s prescription and over-the-counter medications to help eliminate redundancies and reduce unwanted interactions and side effects.

Very often, by the time a patient enters hospice care, they are taking so many different medications that may no longer be necessary, are duplicative, or worse: may negatively interfere with each other, contributing to a patient’s suffering.

The goal of medication management is to streamline a patient’s drug therapy, so the medicine being taken is still needed, effective, and has the least negative impact on the patient.

Our helpful and knowledgeable providers can support you and other family caregivers with understanding the aim and effects of different drugs – including potentially harmful food/drink interactions – and the importance of sticking to a patient’s recommended medication regimen.

Pain and symptom management lies at the heart of hospice care. Because a patient’s comfort and well-being are our top concerns, our medical team continually re-assesses patient needs and strives to ensure that pain and other symptoms of illness are abated. This way, the patient experiences an improved quality of life for as long as possible.

Not all patients experience pain at the end of their lives – this will depend on their illness, as well as many other factors. The care team at Concord Hospice are skilled at being able to recognize and address signs of distress, which can be particularly challenging when an illness impairs a patient’s ability to communicate effectively. This is another reason why experienced hospice providers can identify opportunities for care that other providers or even loved ones may miss.

Concord Hospice has contracted with a respiratory therapy company that allows us to provide advanced respiratory equipment, such as Trilogy non-invasive ventilators designed for at-home use. Our respiratory therapist is available to manage equipment and its use, as well as provide you with other respiratory services.

The skilled nursing care our licensed and registered nurses deliver cover a broad range of medical care and services, including:

• Care plan management
• Catheter insertion, irrigation, replacement
• Intravenous (IV) therapy
• Medication administration (e.g., injections, eye drops, ointments)
• Monitoring of vital signs and medical equipment
• Patient observation and assessment, especially as needs change
• Tube feedings
• Wound care, from minor to complex

End-of-life care is highly specialized. It is more than just general medical care – it addresses the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of patients and their loved ones, while always focusing on a patient’s comfort and well-being.

All you have to do is ask. We will send a registered nurse to your home for a hospice care needs assessment. This consultation will include a patient evaluation to determine whether hospice care is needed, and at what level of care. We can also answer any questions you may have about our hospice services. There is no cost to you for this needs assessment – and no commitment is required. To admit your loved one into hospice and begin patient care, we will need a doctor’s referral.

The majority of hospice patients begin with this type of routine home care. A Concord Hospice nurse will make regularly scheduled visits to wherever your loved one resides at least once every 2 weeks. At this level of care, patients receive all our services – including skilled nursing care, part-time home healthcare aides, durable medical equipment, and more – on a regular but not continuous basis.

Continuous care is provided when around-the-clock care (or near to it) is needed in moments of crisis. This level of care is intended to help stabilize patients who are in acute distress, such as those experiencing uncontrolled pain or bleeding, unrelenting nausea/vomiting, terminal agitation/restlessness, or severe breathing difficulty. Our team members work in shifts 24 hours a day to provide patients and their families a higher level of care for a brief period of time – typically for 5 days or less.

When your loved one’s condition cannot be properly controlled at home, they may require short-term inpatient care to stabilize their condition and relieve discomfort. The stay is typically for a few days only. Concord Hospice can help with the transfer to a contracted nursing or other inpatient facility, where patients who need it can more easily get the 24/7 medical support they require. After a patient’s symptoms are under control, they may be able to return to their residence for their hospice care. Find out more about our inpatient care.

Caring for a loved one with a terminal illness can take a toll on the entire family. If you are struggling with caregiver stress, we can provide help intended to give a patient’s regular caregivers a break, including if there is an urgent need for a brief respite stay (up to 5 days) at a contracted inpatient facility. Find out more about our respite care.