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Hospice can begin when you need us. We can respond to visit you and your loved one most often within 24 hours, but sooner if needed. We will answer all your questions, explain hospice and talk to you about what to expect. No one has to be alone or in pain on this journey.
Hospice is not a “place” – it is a service; one that is, at most times, provided in your own private home. At Ionia Area Hospice, we truly care about each and every patient and family we care for. Your family is our family and we treat you like our own.
Ionia Area Hospice services all of Ionia and portions of Kent, Montcalm, Gratiot and Barry Counties.
Hospice is covered 100 percent by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurances. Once an initial assessment is made and hospice care is deemed appropriate, our staff will visit you at home. Hospice team visits, medications that directly relate to the hospice diagnosis, medical equipment (hospital bed, side table, wheelchair, oxygen etc…) and care supplies are covered 100% by your insurance. Give us a call and start the conversation.
Our hospice team includes specialists who come to you as experts in pain management and symptom control at the end of life. Staff visits are intermittently done throughout the course of the week and our on-call nurse is always available. The only required visit is from your hospice nurse, and you should know that you have a choice with who visits and which services you choose to take advantage of. You may see one or more of the following throughout the week.
Providing full time care to your loved one is stressful. Ionia Area Hospice can arrange respite care to provide relief for the caregiver. Respite care is when the patient temporarily moves to a care facility (for up to five days) so the caregiver can have a break. We understand that there are times when you and your loved ones will need respite for health reasons, travel or other situations that arise. You want to know your loved one is being cared for comfortably and safely. We offer respite care and work closely with you and your medical team to ensure the best communication and care possible. Respite care can be provide at our Stoneleigh Residence or a nursing home.
One study showed people lived an average of 29 days longer on hospice when care begins earlier versus seeking treatment that is not working, making multiple hospital visits or not having enough support at home. The comfort, dignity and peace of mind hospice can provide is usually overlooked because the fear that a loved one “may die right away if put on hospice” is so strong.
Hospice is available when your primary physician, specialist, hospital physician or a hospice physician certifies that a person has a life-limiting illness. If you choose to stop curative treatment, and have a prognosis of six months or less you are most likely able to begin hospice at that time.
Our team of physicians, nurses, hospice aides, social work, chaplain, supportive therapies and volunteers are all available to guide and support not only those in our service, but their loved ones too. Sometimes a person’s journey in hospice is shorter than others. That is why quality of life versus quantity is our focus.
