Local and National Hospice Information
HOSPICE AT HOME
VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION
2025 GATEWAY PLACE, SUITE 270
SAN JOSE, CA 95110
Main Office (408) 452-1224
North County (415) 961-5145
Fax (408) 452-1266
South County Branch
8010 Wayland Lane, Suite 1a
Gilroy, CA 95020
(408) 848-6825
HOSPICE AT HOME
Hospice is a program of choice enabling patients to live comfortably
until they die. Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) Hospice is care
provided primarily at home which offers support and
guidance to patients and their families dealing with the physical
and emotional aspects of dying. A team of health care professionals
and trained volunteers work together to provide comprehensive
services tailored to meet the individual needs of each patient
and their primary caregivers.
Home Hospice Care Services
- 24 hour on call nurse availability
Nursing care with emphasis on
pain and symptom management
- Emotional support and counseling
- Spiritual support
- Respite volunteers
- Bereavement counseling and
support groups
- Coordination with community
services and other home
health resources
Who is eligible for
hospice care?
Patients are accepted regardless of type
of disease, age, color, sex, religion
affiliation, or national origin.
Admission Criteria
- Approval of the attending physician,
who continues to supervise the care
of the patient.
- A life expectancy limited to weeks
and months rather than years
- Patient and family consent to the
hospice program.
- A responsible family member or
individual is the primary caregiver
of the patient at home.
Who pays for hospice care?
Whenever possible, reimbursement is
sought through Medicare, MediCal or
private insurance. Private fees are based
on the family's ability to pay. Charitable
funds from the community are used for
patients and families who do not have
resources available. VNA Hospice
Memorial Fund provides a means for
individuals and the community to offer
support to those people in need.
Why is VNA Hospice special?
- Home care in lieu of hospitalization
- Services throughout all of Santa
Clara Valley
- Oldest and largest provider of
comprehensive hospice care in
the Valley.
- JCAHO certified and a provider of
the Medicare Hospice Benefit
HOME CARE SERVICES of the
Visiting Nurse Association (VNA), an affiliate of Health
Dimensions Incorporated. Phone (408) 452-8000
- Nursing:Intermittent and private duty
- Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy
- Hospice at Home
- Personal Care/Homemaker Services - Relief for Caregivers
- Meals on Wheels
- VNA AIDS Project
- Home Medical Equipment
- Specialized Programs
- Enterostomal Therapy/Wound Care
- High Risk Infant Program
- Intravenous Therapy
- Psychiatric Nursing
- Dietary Consultation
Volunteers Sought for Hospice Care
San Jose, CA - January 23,1995. Volunteers are sought by the
Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Santa Clara
Valley to provide a minimum of three hours of service per
week to hospice patients -- both adult and children --
and the individuals who support them.
Hospice, a program of choice enabling patients to live comfortably
until they die, offers support and guidance. It is
a program which brings a hospice team into the patient's own
environment, the home. It is an alternative which
many patients are choosing. More and more health care
plans -- almost 80 percent by 1990 -- cover this choice of
care. Steve Pankratz, Volunteer Coordinator states: "As it
becomes more available to individuals, the number of
patients we serve also increases. The need for hospice
volunteers is ever growing, as they are crucial members of
VNA's Hospice Team."
A two-day comprehensive training program is scheduled for
the weekend of March 25-26 at the main offices of the
Visiting Nurse Association, 2025 Gateway Place, San Jose.
Training includes instruction on dealing with the
physical and emotional aspects of death and dying,
ways to provide comfort to patients and their families, and ways
to support the Hospice Team.
For more information on this volunteer opportunity, please contact
Steve Pankratz at (408) 451-1987 or (408) 452-1224). The VNA is
the largest not-for-profit home care agency in the Valley.
It is currentlv celebrating its 90th year of providing
medical, supportive, and educational service to the community.
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