Hospice is an Entitlement
By Dr. Shrivastava, Hospice of San Joaquin Medical Director
ere is no cost to sign up for hospice!
e Medicare hospice bene t program allows terminally ill individuals to stay in the comfort of their homes. e hospice patient can still be transferred to an inpatient facility when receiving the care at home is not possible, either temporarily or permanently.
Under the hospice program Medicare covers all the needed services related to terminal illness. To sign up for the Medicare hospice program two conditions must be met.
• e person must be enrolled in Medicare Part A. (*)
• e person must have an estimated six months or less life expectancy.
e hospice bene t requires that the individual must agree to forego curative treatment options for the terminal illness and choose comfort care-based options to increase the quality of life as much as possible.
e hospice bene t puts the patient in control, allowing them to end service at any time and return to regular Medicare coverage. is exibility empowers the patient, as there is no limit on how many times a patient can revoke and resume hospice services.
(*) Hospice of San Joaquin is a non-pro t organization that covers everyone, regardless of Medicare status or any other type of insurance coverage.
e following listing explains what is covered by the Medicare hospice bene t.
1. Physician and nursing services.
2. All medications necessary to manage the terminal condition, and other conditions that contribute to a prognosis of 6 months or less.
3. Services of hospice home health aides to help with bathing and bed changes.
4. Medical equipment like hospital beds, walkers, wheelchairs, and oxygen as needed to keep the individual comfortable and assist with mobility and safety.
5. Medical social worker services to support the individual and the family with the emotional burden and grief.
6. Chaplain services to meet individuals spiritual and religious needs.
7. Volunteer services to support the patient and family.
8. Respite care gives caregivers a break for up to 5 days.
9. In case of symptomatic worsening, continuous care by specially trained sta can be provided at home.
10. If proper symptomatic care cannot be provided at home then general inpatient care (GIP) can be provided in the inpatient unit, approved nursing home or hospital.
BOARD OFFICERS
Donna J. Kane, CFP
President
Paul Balestracci, JD
Vice President
Gayle Asuncion
Secretary
Lou Meyer
Treasurer
Deepak Shrivastava, MD Medical Director
BOARD MEMBERS
Nicole Bettencourt
Rebecca Burnett, MPA, BSN, RN, CHPN, CHA
Pat Collier, RN, MHSA
Gary Cooper
Fran Langston, BSN
Penny Mallette
Gary Pickell, MD
Malik K. Rahman
Rebecca Sanders, RN, MN, CNML
Kirti Solanki, MD
Sarah Taylor, RN, BSN
VISION
To be the leader in ensuring quality of the journey, from serious illness through end of life.
MISSION
Our Mission is to honor life by ensuring Patients and their Caregivers are the focus of everything we do.
Hospice of San Joaquin
3888 Pacific Avenue
Stockton, CA 95204 (209) 957-3888 hospicesj.org
What is special about Hospice of San Joaquin?
Hospice of San Joaquin was incorporated as a California nonpro t bene t Corporation in 1980. e agency is supervised by a Board of Directors and managed by an interdisciplinary care team. In 1985 hospice of San Joaquin began its rst adult and children grief support groups. e services are continuing and are free and open to everyone in the community.
Hospice of San Joaquin o ers Full Circle Aftercare, a concierge service that walks the family through each step of closing the personal a airs of their deceased loved one.
Hospice of San Joaquin, a non-pro t organization reinvests any pro ts realized through the business into developing new patient care programs.
Hospice of San Joaquin provides a unique inpatient unit (IPU) facility called Hospice House. is facility has its own medical director and hospice physician, especially trained nurses and supporting sta , to provide higher level comfort care for the symptomatic management of the terminally ill until the symptoms are well-controlled, or the disease takes its normal course.
Hospice of San Joaquin is committed to providing care to all medically quali ed patients, regardless of their ability to pay. is inclusivity is a core value of our organization, ensuring that everyone in need can access our services.
Hospice of San Joaquin provides hospice care to children of any age who are terminally ill and require comfort-based services in addition to continued curative care through their community provider. e care for children is well coordinated with their child-specialist and is known as concurrent care.
rough its Dementia program Hospice of San Joaquin provides dementia speci c care to patients.
Hospice of San Joaquin will soon be introducing the Lung Care Program, that will provide special care to all the patients who are terminally ill with a respiratory disorder. is program was developed in partnership with the American Lung Association.
We at hospice of San Joaquin take great pride in providing high-quality comfort-based care to terminally ill patients and their families. Hospice of San Joaquin is there to help when the help is most needed!
Did you know Hospice of San Joaquin has won these awards?
MARCH 16 |
RECAP OF EVENTS
Camp Caterpillar is a grief day camp for children aged 5-13 who have lost a loved one in the last two years. It helps kids learn to express their feelings, improve communication, and develop coping skills to deal with current and future losses. e camp, like all our grief services, is free and open to the public,
We hosted an Open House and Ribbon-Cutting event at our new o ce in Modesto. is exciting occasion featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating our expansion into the Stanislaus County community. Attendees had the
MAY 4 | KENTUCKY DERBY WEST
Rain couldn’t stop the party that was the 10th Annual Kentucky Derby West on May 4. From the moment guests arrived, they were greeted with mint juleps, tasty bites, a live broadcast of the Kentucky Derby, and over 100 silent auction baskets. Spirits were high, hats were aunted, and the arena cheered on their favorite horses to the nish line. We want to thank all our generous sponsors, donors, and guests for making the day a huge success! Proceeds from this
is year our Memorial Service was held at the Central United Methodist Church. e event included excerpts and writings related to grief and a reading of the names being remembered. We ended with a butter y release where participants are encouraged to let their memories and love soar on the wings of beautiful butter ies.
3888 Paci c Avenue
Stockton, CA 95204
“We're the one with the Butterfly”
UPCOMING EVENTS
SIP & STROLL
August 17 • 6:00pm-9:00pm Heron Lakes, Stockton
A Stockton tradition for 21 years, the Sip and Stroll event is the perfect way to enjoy summer! Guests will stroll through a section of Brookside Classics on Heron Lakes Dr. while indulging in live music, wine, and food from numerous local businesses. Last year, we sold out a month in advance. If you're interested, be sure to get your tickets soon ($70 ea.) through our website or by calling our o ce. is is an experience you won't want to miss!
STOCKTON CAMP CATERPILLAR
September 28 • 8:30am-1:30pm Central United Methodist Church, Stockton Camp Caterpillar is a free day camp for children in kindergarten through 8th grade who have experienced the loss of a loved one within the last two years. e camp is held twice a year in Lodi and Stockton. Parents meet with volunteer “Buddies” before the camp day to discuss each child's needs. Campers will nd comfort in knowing they are not alone in their grief.
