About Hospice Care
Hospice is not a place; it is a concept of care. Hospice affirms life and regards dying as a normal process. Hospice neither hastens nor postpones the end of life.

The care that hospice gives is meant to help those living with incurable illness and their families make the most of the last months of life by giving comfort and relief from pain. The focus is on care, not cure. Some common diagnosis are cancer, end-stage Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal disease, AIDS, and multiple organ system failure.

Hospice care can be provided either in-home or within the skilled nursing center. Our program includes palliative care by hospice professionals, counseling for patient and family, as well as pastoral support. Registered nurses, therapists, dietitians and social workers are available to meet all the patient’s health care needs.

Services Provided By Hospice
Hospice of the Gunnison Valley will work with you to ensure that your wishes are met.

• Custom designed plan of care
• Choice to be cared for at home, a family member’s home, a nursing or care facility
• Team of physicians, nurses and counselors
• Pain and symptom management
• Regular visits by a registered nurse
• Medical equipment and medication necessary for your care and comfort
• Education for family members to assist in patient’s care
• Emotional and spiritual support for patient and family members
• Opportunity for patient to put his/her life in order
• Continuity of same caregivers, regardless of where patient is living
• Volunteers to provide companionship, non-medical services, support and respite time for family members
• 24 hour/7 days a week telephone support for patient and family
• 13 month after-death bereavement support for family members

Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare and Medicaid cover costs related to hospice care. Medicare Part A includes a hospice benefit. Medicare pays a per diem rate (same rate daily, regardless of services provided) based on the average cost of care per patient per day. Out of this rate, hospice purchases items and services needed for the comfort of the patient. Medical equipment, medications, treatments related to comfort and all hospice staff services are covered by the Medicare hospice benefit. Medicaid, in Colorado, works the same way. For both services, there are no charges to the patient, no co-pays or deductibles.

Private Insurance
For patients who have insurance policies written in Colorado, a hospice benefit is included. The policies vary in the way they pay for hospice, and hospice may bill the insurance company differently than Medicare.

For patients without insurance or inadequate insurance, a sliding fee scale for hospice care is available. The sliding fee scale is based on income and expenses. We do not make decisions about who to admit to our services, or about the services our patients receive, based on their ability to pay.