Hospice

Man and woman embracing. Man kissing Cancer patient on the forehead

Hospice is a closely supervised program of individualized services and overall support. It offers help and support 24/7 at home or in any home-like setting for people with a life-limiting illness. Some of the most common reasons people receive hospice care are health conditions like cancer, heart or lung disease, kidney or liver disease and Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Hospice includes the symptom-relief, pain management and increased comfort benefits of palliative care with an even greater emphasis on emotional, psychological and spiritual support for patients as well as family members. Most important of all, it brings families the full range of resources they need to make sure their loved one can spend his or her final days in the familiar surroundings of home, in an atmosphere of comfort and dignity.

Our hospice teams include nursing staff, hospice aides, social workers, bereavement coordinator, volunteer coordinator and volunteers, clergy, and physical therapists.

Making the Most of the Time That Remains

Riverside Hospice helps you live fully and maximize your time and quality of life. We believe each person entrusted to our care is unique. Therefore, we provide personalized care plans to meet your individual needs.

Dying is a normal part of life. However, for each of us, facing our own end of life will be a new and unfamiliar experience. Riverside Hospice helps individuals with limited time face this stage of life with grace, dignity and control. We provide support to work though the issues, distractions and day-to-day details that are part of a life-limiting illness so patients can spend more time together with family and friends.

Separating the Myths from the Facts

The end-of-life care available through hospice is one of the most significant, life-affirming choices that patients and families can make and it’s important to have the facts you need to make an informed decision. It’s also important to know what is not accurate when it comes to home hospice. Here are four of the misconceptions that people sometimes hold regarding these specialized services for patients and families:

FACT: What hospice actually represents is an opportunity to be more in control of the progress of your condition while significantly improving quality of life. Hospice care will neither shorten nor prolong life, but rather holds the potential to add comfort and dignity to the life that remains.

FACT: The fact is, if hospice doesn’t meet your expectations for any reason, you can discontinue the support. If a patient’s condition improves – for example, if the disease goes into remission – the patient can easily transition from hospice back to regular medical treatment. Similarly, you can readily be admitted to the hospital if symptoms can’t be successfully managed at home.

FACT: Many people have trusting and often long-term relationships with their physicians. For that reason, the hospice team works closely with the patient’s doctor by involving her or him in the initial plan of care and through ongoing communications. So, you keep your own doctor – and gain a team in the process.

FACT: Hospice is an approach to end-of-life care, not a physical space. You can receive hospice care wherever you feel the most comfortable and wherever the need exists. For most people, that place is home, whether it’s the traditional family home, an assisted living facility or any other place where they reside.

Taking the Next Step

The Riverside Hospice team takes a compassionate, holistic approach to care as we help ease the burdens of a life-limiting illness. Hear from caregivers who have shared the hospice experience. If you think hospice is the right choice for you or for a loved one, please call us. The sooner you call, the more time you have to take advantage of the support so many families find invaluable.

Riverside Hospice Care: Serving the Peninsula communities
757-594-2745

Riverside Hospice Care: Serving the Middle Peninsula communities
804-693-1111

Riverside Hospice Care: Serving the Eastern Shore of Virginia communities
757-789-5000

Riverside Hospice Care: Serving the Northern Neck communities
804-333-8470

Riverside Hospice Care: Serving the Mechanicsville/Richmond communities
804-730-5440

Riverside Hospice Care: Serving the Smithfield communities
757-782-6110

Riverside Hospice Care: Serving the Williamsburg communities
757-378-5001

Ongoing Grief and Loss Support

Riverside Hospice provides ongoing grief support as individuals and families work through the loss of a loved one. Learn more about our hospice bereavement support services and hospice support groups. We encourage participants to share experiences as they wish. Some of the most effective healing comes when people are able to relate to others in a similar situation.

Lifelong Health