The team uses a holistic approach to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of both patient and loved ones as they work through end-of-life issues, while supporting the hope of a full and meaningful life for as long as possible.
Our Program Provides
- An interdisciplinary team approach to patient care
- Palliative care
- Pain management and symptom control
- Care and services that are responsive to the needs of patients, family members and loved ones
- Support that helps patients to live life to its fullest and experience a peaceful death with dignity
- Bereavement support to the family and caregivers during and after their loss
Care is given in the home, an assisted living facility, nursing home or the hospital in an acute inpatient setting. Loved ones who want to be actively involved in administering care are offered support and training.
A Dedicated Team
Our program includes a team of specially trained and dedicated professionals. They include:
- Your personal physician
- Medical director who is board certified in geriatric and internal medicine
- Registered nurses
- Certified home health aides
- Social workers
- Chaplains
- Volunteers
These individuals work together along with the patient and his or her loved ones to create a plan of care that is specific to the needs of both patient and family.
Care & Services
Depending on each patient’s needs and the plan of care, the Hospice Program provides:
- Regular nursing visits
- On-call nursing 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- Education about the illness, what to expect as the disease progresses, and how to cope
- Provision of medical equipment, supplies and medications related to the terminal illness
- Short-term acute inpatient care for symptom control
- Short-term respite care
- Short-term continuous care in the home when medically necessary
- Social services, supportive counseling and end-of-life planning
- Spiritual counseling by clergy
- Volunteer support for the patient and caregivers
- Bereavement support for loved ones after their loss
As a service of Princeton HealthCare System, patients and families in our Hospice Program have access to a full continuum of healthcare support.
- Inpatient Hospice Program at University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro*
- Inpatient respite care
- Educational programming and support groups through Princeton HealthCare System Community Education & Outreach Program
*A University Hospital Affiliate of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
When Hospice Can Help
Patients and their families choose hospice care when potentially curative or disease-modifying treatment for a terminal illness is no longer appropriate or desired. The decision to receive hospice care is made by the patient in consultation with his or her personal physician and the caregiver if available.
If the answer to the following questions is “yes,” then hospice is an important option to consider:
- Has the illness been described as end stage?
- Does the patient desire palliative (comfort) care with pain and symptom management?
- Are disease-modifying treatments no longer an option or no longer desirable?
- Has the physician determined that the patient has six months or less to live if the disease follows its usual course?
- Are family or friends willing to participate in the patient's care?
- Does the patient desire holistic care and help with the emotional, spiritual and psychosocial issues of his or her illness?
- Does the patient wish to remain at home and receive care?
Hospice Coverage
Hospice care is reimbursed under Medicare and Medicaid and virtually all private insurance plans.
A licensed, certified and accredited provider of hospice care, Princeton HomeCare offers support with financial arrangements and will coordinate reimbursement for coverage, working cooperatively with your provider. Princeton HomeCare provides medically necessary care regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.
For more information, call the Hospice Program at 1.609.497.4900.