Meadville Hospice & Palliative Care
Hospice of Crawford County, Inc.
Hospice is a positive support system for families and those who are in
the last stages of a terminal illness. Hospice neither hastens nor postpones
death, rather, it promotes the concept of comfort, dignity and respect
for all persons until the moment of death. Hospice is all about living—living
to the utmost until it is time to say farewell. Hospice is designed to
help people who are nearing the end of life’s journey to live as
fully as possible at home, in familiar surroundings, close to family and friends.
Learn more about Hospice of Crawford County, Inc.:
Hospice Makes the Road Less Lonely
Our hospice program and The Marquette Hospice House at Meadville Medical
Center (MMC) give attention to the needs of the whole person—physical,
mental, emotional and spiritual. Like the spokes of a wheel, our interdisciplinary
group of physicians, nurses, social workers, spiritual counselors, home
health aides and volunteers work together as a team to assess and meet
the needs of the patient and their family, always keeping the patient
at the hub of the wheel.
We believe fear of the unknown makes the journey more difficult. We educate
the patient and family about the illness, its symptoms and treatment,
pain control and the grieving process. Our hospice program also serves
as a guide through the final months to help know what to expect.
Our mission and philosophy statements sum up our approach to hospice care:
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Our Philosophy: Dying is a normal process of life.
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Our Mission: To enable patients nearing life's end to live free of pain, symptoms
and anxieties and empower them and their families to experience an optimum
quality of life.
Meet Our Hospice Team
Hospice of Crawford County provides individualized end-of-life care to
patients in their home environment. Home environment includes the patient
or family home, an assisted living facility, a group home, a long-term
care facility, or the Marquette Hospice House. Our specialized, professional
team provides care in accordance with patient and family goals.
The following is a brief review of the professional team and their roles
in providing care:
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Medical: All care is provided under the direction of either your primary care physician
or the hospice medical director. The physician is contacted for any change
in your condition requiring a change in medication and / or treatment.
In addition to as-needed contact, your hospice team provides your primary
physician with a written report summarizing your condition. Our medical
directors meet regularly with the hospice team to review all patients
and their conditions.
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Skilled Nursing: Registered nurses make regularly scheduled visits to patients providing
physical assessments, pain and other symptom management, wound care and
treatments, and education and support to caregivers assisting them to
provide for their loved one’s care needs. The registered nurse ensures
patients have all medications, supplies and equipment necessary for care.
In addition, registered nurses are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week for any concerns, problems and emergencies. Occasionally, patients
may be visited by licensed practical nurses that provide care under the
direction of the registered nurse.
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Social Service: Our social workers provide education, support and assistance regarding
non-medical needs. They are available to assist with advanced directives
/ living wills, financial or legal concerns, accessing community resources
and any identified social needs.
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Chaplain: The chaplain is available to assist with any spiritual needs for both
patient and caregivers. Our chaplain is also available to perform funerals
when requested.
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Hospice Aide: Our hospice aides are certified nurse aides. They provide personal care
to patients on a regularly scheduled basis. Hospice aides are available
to assist with light housekeeping. They also provide the “little
things that mean so much” such as back rubs, styling hair, painting
finger nails, soaking feet, and other services. Hospice aides are an important
source of support for caregivers and patients.
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Volunteer Coordinator and Volunteers: Our volunteer coordinator is responsible for recruiting, training and
supervising our dedicated and active corps of volunteers. Volunteers provide
a wide variety of services including visiting / supporting patients and
caregivers, staying with patients to allow caregivers some rest and opportunities
to run errands and so on, office support and fundraising.
Hospice Services We Provide
We understand that our care does not end with the patient’s death.
We are committed to providing bereavement support for the year following
the death. We also provide the community with monthly Bereavement Support
groups as well as Bereavement Class series offered twice yearly. The hospice
concept is predominantly a home health care program of services. This
can include caring for patients who reside in a personal care home. We
also provide hospice services for patients in an extended care facility,
the Marquette Hospice House. In addition, we oversee inpatient respite care.
Who Is Eligible for Hospice Care?
Hospice is available to any resident of Crawford County or contiguous areas
of surrounding counties who have been diagnosed as having a limited life
expectancy. The patient must be under the care of a physician who authorizes
the ongoing plan of care and who works in affiliation with the interdisciplinary
hospice group of caregivers. There must be at least one individual in
the household willing to help provide care and assistance to the patient.
Memberships
Hospice of Crawford County, Inc. is a non-profit organization affiliated
with Community Health Services of Crawford County, Meadville Medical Center
and the United Way. We are Medicare and Medicaid certified and a member
of the Pennsylvania Hospice Network and National Hospice Organization.
Hospice care is fully covered by Medicare, Medical Assistance and most
private insurance plans.
Hospice of Crawford County is:
- Palliative Care Certified
- Medicare Certified
- Licensed in Pennsylvania
- A United Way Agency
- CHAPS Accredited
Our medical directors at Hospice of Crawford County are:
- Board certificated in Hospice and Palliative Care
We are members of:
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
- Pennsylvania Hospice Network
Accreditation/ Certification
Hospice Accreditation
As a recognized leader in Hospice Accreditation, our process provides
the guidance and resources providers need to deliver the best patient
care. CHAP understands hospice is delivered wherever a patient calls home,
including hospice centers, hospitals, nursing homes and other long-term
care facilities. As a result, we have created an easy to implement accreditation
process. The CHAP Standards of Excellence for Home Health Providers, created
by providers for providers, covers all aspects of Home Healthcare, for
both public and private agencies. They include home aide care as well
as occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language therapy,
medical social work, nutrition counseling, and all other services.
All of our CHAP Site Visitors, who guide you through the process, are Registered
Nurses (RNs) with many years of experience in hospice. They are familiar
with the workings of hospice care teams that include physicians, physician
assistants, nurse practitioners, home health aides, social workers, and
therapists. They also understand the challenges of working with this special
group of patients and weave the standards of our accreditation program
into your facility’s protocols as seamlessly as possible.
Palliative Care Certification
Palliative Care is the organized delivery of patient and family-centered
care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing, and treating
symptoms of individuals with serious illness. Palliative care addresses
the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of the patient and
the family, as well as facilitating access to information and choice.
It is provided and coordinated by an interdisciplinary team in any setting.
The CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Partner) Palliative Care standards
are informed by providers of palliative care and the National Consensus
Project for Quality Palliative Care. Clinical Practice Guidelines for
Quality Palliative Care 4th Edition. Richmond, VA: National Coalition
for Hospice and Palliative Care; 2018. Certification is awarded for three
(3) years and is available to Palliative
Care Programs that are:
- A service of an existing setting such as a physician practice, Assisted
Living Facility, or SNF, etc.
- A service of a currently accredited hospice or home health agency.
- An independent provider of palliative care.
Our Contact Information
For more information,
visit us on Facebook or view our hospice website. Hospice of Crawford County can be found at
the following locations:
766 Liberty Street, Meadville, Pa. 16335
(814) 333-5403
417 N. Monroe Street, Titusville, Pa. 16354
(814) 827-0330