Hospice and Grief Support
Hospice help when and where you need it
When you or a loved one is facing a life-ending illness, Legacy Health offers the compassionate care needed to support both patient and family. Our program is uniquely dedicated to provide the best care for this time of transition and our volunteers and expert staff will work with you to make it as comfortable as possible.
Legacy Hospice serves adults, children and their families with home-based care in the Portland metropolitan area and communities throughout the Willamette Valley.
Legacy Hospice also provides care in residential or assisted living settings, adult foster homes and nursing care facilities.
What is hospice?
- Treats the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients
- Takes place in the patient’s home, a hospital or in a home-like setting
- Allows patients to direct their own care
- Helps patients live as comfortably and free of pain as possible for the remainder of their lives
- Supports family members and caregivers
- Believes the quality of life is as important as the length of life
When to consider hospice?
Hospice care may be appropriate when the patient, family and physician determine that medical treatment no longer offers a cure. Then the primary focus of care becomes comfort and quality of life.
The sooner the Legacy Hospice team becomes involved, the more we can assist in supportive care, which provides physical and emotional comfort to the patient and family.
Here are guidelines to consider when thinking about whether hospice is right for you or your loved one:
- Referral from your physician who recommends hospice.
- Terminal medical condition with a life expectancy of six months or less, assuming the illness runs its normal course.
- Agree to palliation (control) of symptoms and not cure of illness.
- Agree to follow the plan of care developed by the patient, family, physician and the hospice team.
- Live within the counties served by Legacy Hospice Services (Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah, Washington, Columbia, Yamhill and Polk counties)
- Have a place of residence (home, foster home or residential care facility), which is a safe environment for patient, caregiver and hospice staff.
- Have a realistic plan to provide primary caregiving, 24 hours a day.
- All patients who meet these guidelines are accepted regardless of ability to pay.
Why choose Legacy Hospice?
- Patients spend fewer days waiting due to our centralized intake system
- We go where patients are: at home or in the hospital.
- Urgent, same-day referrals 24 hours a day, care 24/7 for those enrolled and free consultations
- All hospice staff are trained and experienced in end-of-life care. Additionally, over half of our nurses have additional certifications as specialized hospice and palliative care nurses.
- We use an electronic medical record system so that providers can share information easily.
- We work closely with insurance companies and offer funding for patients who can’t pay.
Learn more about our services and treatments.
Who pays for hospice?
Hospice coverage is widely available. It’s provided by Medicare nationwide, by Medicaid in some states, and by most private health insurance policies. To be sure of coverage, check with your employer or health insurance provider; our staff can help you with this process. Our staff may be able to find funding even for those who don’t meet the usual rules for reimbursement.
Helping you prepare
At Legacy, we understand that entering hospice care can be a stressful time for both the patient and family.
Our approach is to establish a trusting and open relationship with patients and families.
If you are a patient, we want you to live as fully as possible, and be as comfortable and in charge of your life as you can. For families and friends, we want to help you with needs that may be varied and changing.
We believe our approach, along with the love and commitment of family and friends, will provide the best care. When you choose Legacy Hospice, you benefit from the expertise and commitment of Legacy’s quality care.
