The Hospice Program:
The philosophy of hospice care is to provide comfort and pain management when cure is no longer an option.  Our goals are to support quality of life, to honor the wishes of our patients, to maintain the dignity of the individual, and to support the family through their grief process.

Our hospice care team collaborates closely with the patient's own physician to create a plan of care which is driven by the needs and wishes of the patient, family and loved ones.

Outlined below are the Eligibility & Costs guidelines, and a section on How to Get Started.

No one is refused service due to the inability to pay for hospice care.

Who is Eligible for Hospice of the Valley Care?

• Patient must reside in the hospice service area - Santa Clara County.
• For the patient's safety and well-being an appropriate level of care giving support (up to 24 hours per day, 7 days a week if necessary) must be available.
• Patient's attending physician must be willing to work with Hospice of the Valley to coordinate care.
• Patient and family must desire hospice care and agree to the policies and procedures of the program.
• Admission is without discrimination on the basis of age, sex, mental or physical handicap, race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin.

How Much Does Hospice Care Cost?

Hospice Care is covered by Medicare, HMOs, Medi-Cal and most private insurance providers, which pay the hospice program a per-diem rate intended to cover all expenses related to hospice care.

These payments, however, fall short of actual costs and Hospice of the Valley relies on the support of a growing community of donors to cover the shortfall. We believe in everyone's right to end-of-life care in comfort and dignity, and no one is denied hospice services due to lack of insurance or ability to pay.

Medicare Hospice Benefit or Medi-Cal Hospice Benefit?

Patients covered by Medicare Part A or MediCal are eligible for the Medicare Hospice Benefit or MediCal Hospice Benefit in which the following services are covered:

• Professional nurse and medical social worker home visits as needed.
• Home health aide, chaplain and trained volunteer home visits as needed.
• On-call services, for emergencies, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Medical equipment and supplies necessary for patient comfort during the illness.
• Medications for symptom management and pain relief related to the terminal illness.
• Short-term hospital care and respite care.
• Dietary counseling.
• Physical, occupational, respiratory and speech therapy IF deemed necessary by the interdisciplinary group.
• Bereavement services.

Download detailed information on the Medicare Benefit.

Also, please review the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid article "Hospice Care Enhances Dignity and Peace as Life Nears Its End."

Call Hospice of the Valley at 408 559-5600 early in the patient's diagnosis to discuss hospice care. In so doing, an informed decision can be made at the point when curative treatment is no longer an option. Anyone can initiate hospice care. As an informed patient, family member or loved one, YOU can call HOV and request hospice care. HOV will contact the patient's physician for a medical referral.

When you call Hospice of the Valley, one of our staff members can discuss the specifics of our care plan with you and your family and will ask for some patient information:

• Patient information (contact information, diagnosis)
• Primary Physician
• Primary Caregiver(s)
• Insurance Details

Once the necessary information has been gathered, Hospice of the Valley will contact the primary physician to coordinate the patient's care and to determine if the patient is hospice appropriate. Once your physician agrees to participate with our Care Management Team, HOV will schedule an Intake Visit to orient the patient to hospice care.

Topics covered in the Intake Visit include:

• Hospice of the Valley Services including the role of the case manager, social workers, home health aides, chaplain, volunteers, and caregivers.
• Insurance coverage specific to the patient
• Assessment physical and current medications
• Symptom review
• Medical Equipment for the patient
• Signing of Release and Consent Forms
• Answering any questions or concerns the family may have