Home Care

• Limited life expectancy of approximately six months or less
• Any end-stage disease may be considered terminal
• Patient desires supportive care and pain/symptom management and wishes no further aggressive treatment
• Disadvantages of treatment outweigh the potential benefits
• Attending Physician authorizes the Hospice Program

Inpatient Level of Care

• The patient is in need of acute medical (skilled care) for symptoms that can not be managed at home.
• Pain management uncontrolled pain that requires monitoring, ongoing assessment and adjustment of medications for resolution.
• Severe respiratory distress, compromised and unmanageable requiring evaluation, treatment and adjustment of medication for resolution.
• Hemorrhaging unresponsive to local measures requiring frequent intervention and dressing changes.
• Uncontrolled severe nausea and vomiting requiring medication changes and/or adjustment.
• Agitation, unmanageable behavior, seizures which require monitoring and/or medication adjustment.
• Actively dying patients when death is imminent and the family is unable to cope or care for the patient at home.

Continuous Care or Crisis Care

• Symptoms uncontrolled (as mentioned above) but the patient wants to remain at home and not be admitted to an inpatient facility. In this case, if staffing is available, nurses and nurses aides are sent to the home for 8 to 12 hour shifts to assist in care and control of symptoms. If staffing is not available, we will recommend inpatient admission.
• With the added help and skilled staff in the patients home symptoms can be managed within 5-7 days. At that time, the continuous care staff will be discharged and care will return to the family and the homecare team.

Respite Care

• When a patient family or caregiver needs relief or respite to keep them healthy and able to care for their loved ones, respite care is available.
• The patient will be transferred to a contracted nursing home for a period up to 5 days and will be visited by our hospice staff until the patient returns home.
• This level of care is to help families rest, take a short trip if need be to reenergize and be able to care for their loved ones again.

Sacred Heart Hospice, Phoenix Arizona care is extended to patients even in assisted living facilities in Maricopa County, Arizona and our services compliment assisted living to promote care, love and support to all those in need.