Our Services: Compassionate Care and Support in Your Home
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Our focus at Hospice Buffalo is to provide services to assist patients and their families facing serious, progressive illness. We help patients and their families to maintain independence and comfort during a serious illness. To this end, we have a team of compassionate professionals who make home visits to assist you in the care of your loved one. We also have hospice care available in more than 40 area nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Erie County.
Do not let concern about finances keep you from this vital support!
*Eligibility determined on referral
If the patient is in need of hospice services, hospice care is covered 100% by Medicare and frequently covered by private insurance. With generous donations from the community, we are also able to provide hospice services to those who are not eligible for Medicare. No one will be denied care because of an inability to pay.
In hospice, we provide assistance to the patient and to the family members. Our care is offered in your home, area hospital, nursing home, assisted living, Hospice residence and other home-like settings. Families who come to Hospice Buffalo for help receive services customized to their needs. These services can include:
-Hospice nurses who visit weekly or more frequently as the patient needs
-Home Health aides for personal hands-on care
-Medical social workers to assist with finances, paperwork and more
-Pastoral caregivers to provide non-denominational support and guidance
-Physical, occupational and speech therapists
-Delivery of medications and supplies to your home
-Trained volunteers to assist the patient or caregiver at home
-Grief counselors
-Respite care
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- Home visits several times a week
- Management of pain and other difficult symptoms
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Help with bathing and grooming
- 24-hour assistance and advice
- Patient and caregiver education
- Help for family caregivers
- Coordination of multiple services
Home visits several times a week
Whether the person you care for lives at home or in an assisted living or nursing home facility, members of our staff come to the bedside several times each week. A nurse may visit to check on the patient's condition, answer questions, and recommend changes in medication, diet, equipment, or supplies. Depending on the needs of the patient or family, other visitors may include nurse aides, a social worker, a nondenominational chaplain, and/or a physical or occupational therapist. These professionals offer important advice and support to family and friends who are delivering day-to-day care. We even have specially trained volunteers who can stay and visit with the patient so family caregivers can take a much-needed break.
(Return to top)Management of pain and other difficult symptoms
Our staff at Hospice Buffalo are trained in "palliative care," a branch of medicine that focuses specifically on easing pain and discomfort. The definition of "pain" is very broad in palliative medicine and includes physical, emotional, and spiritual distress. As a result, our team is holistic in its approach. For instance, sometimes the best remedy is medication, and so we will ask the doctor for a prescription. But sometimes the problem can best be fixed by changing sleeping position, modifying diet, or simply talking through an emotional issue and gaining clarity on a difficult family concern. Some treatments for symptom relief involve surgery or radiation. Others require special equipment such as oxygen for shortness of breath, or a hospital bed or wheelchair to reduce the likelihood of falls or the chance of injuring a caregiving family member. Although Medicare authorizes a $5 copayment, Medicare patients at Hospice Buffalo receive all prescriptions, equipment, and supplies that are needed for pain and symptom relief at no additional charge.
(Return to top)Emotional and spiritual support
Serious illness brings up many difficult questions and feelings. As we face the possibility of dying, we all have fears, worries, and concerns. At Hospice Buffalo, our staff has received special training to help people address these issues. We even have social workers and nondenominational chaplains who can meet with you, the patient, or even with the entire family, to help everyone come to a better understanding of the situation and determine how to meet each others' needs with grace and love.
(Return to top)Help with bathing and grooming
Everyone feels better after a bath. Shampooed hair that is nicely styled and a good shave or a little makeup can do wonders for self-esteem! Seriously ill individuals, however, are often unable to bathe or groom themselves. Family members may try to help, but assisting another person in and out of the tub, or into the shower, can be physically demanding. The floors are slippery, surfaces are hard, and bathrooms are typically cramped with very little room for moving around. More injuries occur in the bathroom than in any other room of the house. And the injury can be with the caregiver as much as with the patient! Even giving a sponge bath to a person in bed can be difficult. Family members are not trained in methods for safely moving weights of 100 pounds or more. It is not uncommon for them to end up with a painful back injury as a result of trying to lift or move a loved one.
Under the direction of your physician and in cooperation with you and your family, we will establish a plan of care specifically designed to meet your needs. Our Caring Hearts Home Care provides certified home health aides to assist with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, cooking, meal prep and personal laundry of the patient. Patients receive the benefits of getting clean, while elderly spouses, in particular, are able to conserve their energy.
24-hour assistance and advice
Patients and families of Hospice Buffalo are free to call the office 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have professionals available to answer your questions. No waiting until the morning, with your loved one in pain. You call and we respond. If it's something we can help with over the phone, great! If not, our staff will come to your home to check the patient, offer recommendations, and make sure you are comfortable with the treatments being suggested.
(Return to top)Patient and caregiver education
With all the rush and commotion in the doctor's office, it's not always easy to remember everything you've been told—or even what you wanted to ask! Our nurses are available to answer your questions. In the comfort of your home, our staff can explain the disease and the medical issues that surround it. They understand the day-to-day impact of living with your loved one's condition: the symptoms, the side effects of treatment, the likely progression of the illness. We're there to help in any way we can. Just knowing what to expect helps many patients and families relax and feel less anxious about the process.
(Return to top)Help for family caregivers
At Hospice Buffalo, family members are part of the caregiving team and part of the unit of care. We know that your loved one would not be as comfortable if it were not for your participation. You make a valuable contribution. But you also are undergoing a very stressful and difficult time.
Our goal is to support you, emotionally and physically, so that your health is not also compromised. We suggest treatments for the patient based not only on what he or she needs, but also on the needs and capabilities of family members. Our social workers are available to help you as you process the powerful issues that often arise when a loved one is seriously ill. We have volunteers who can come to the home and visit with the patient so you can get out and have some time to yourself (a requirement if you are going to keep up your own strength!).
As you can see, the care provided by Hospice Buffalo is designed to meet the needs of the patient and his or her family members.
If you think your family might benefit from the support of Hospice Buffalo, please give us a call at 716-686-8000, or toll-free 1-800-575-Hope (4673), or email us at info@palliativecare.org. We would be honored to serve you.
Coordination of multiple services
Pharmacies, doctors, physical therapists, equipment suppliers … it can be mind boggling to juggle all the different services and providers your loved one may need to stay comfortable. Part of our Hospice Buffalo care involves coordinating these many services so you can concentrate on your loved one's daily needs and do not need to worry about paperwork, shopping for providers, arranging for physician orders, etc.
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