Inpatient Hospice Care

By Geoff Lister    

Patients on Hospice have an alternative to the Emergency Room and to the acute hospital.  For up to ten to fourteen days a Hospice patient can be admitted directly to either a “scatter bed” on a hospital floor where the staff has had extra Hospice training, or to a designated Hospice unit at St. Mary’s Hospital.  For many patients already in a hospital when they are evaluated for Hospice, the “scatter bed” is attractive because it means they can stay at the same hospital.  Their personal physician will manage their care.  Sometimes a “scatter bed” can be arranged for an admission from home, depending on bed availability at that hospital. 

Inpatient care is available for acute symptom control, such as for relief of pain that has gotten out of control, for prolonged vomiting, or for agitation.  It is also available for what probably will be the last two weeks of life.  Symptoms that suggest to the Hospice team that a person has two weeks or less to live are being bedbound, not eating, and drinking only sips of fluid.  The Hospice Medical Director is always consulted on making this decision about prognosis.  To arrange for an in-patient admission from home call your Hospice nurse during regular working hours, or the on call phone number after hours.  Hospice will search for an available bed, call you back, and arrange for transportation if necessary. 

The Genesee Region Home Care Hospice Inpatient Suite at St. Mary’s Hospital currently offers twelve beds on the sixth floor of the hospital.  This is the view as you come up to the unit.  A variety of staff care for the patients:  a physician visits within twenty four hours of admission and at least every three days, nurses, nurse’s aides and volunteers provide personal care, and a musical therapist and chaplain are available.  A pet therapist brings dogs by weekly for those patients who enjoy dogs and a massage therapist soon join the staff.
The rooms are homelike and each has a television with cable service and a VCR.
There are no time restrictions for visiting and children and pets are welcome to visit.  If you have any concerns about safety when going from the parking ramp (where the parking is free), call the unit at 436-3462 and they will arrange for a security guard to meet you in the ramp.  A security guard can also walk you out to your car.  If a family member wants to spend the night, fold out futon chairs can be brought in to the patient’s room.  A well stocked refrigerator offers ice cream, juices and soft drinks.  A microwave, small stove, and a toaster are there to help in small meal preparation.  Coffee is always brewing.  While the patient’s meals are provided from the cafeteria, only breakfast and lunch are available there for family.  Pizza can be ordered in.  There is a pleasant social room for families:
Patients are offered a whirlpool bath daily; access is made easy by a lift system. Inpatient Hospice care always depends on bed availability.  The Hospice staff tries to arrange for care in the site of your choice, but sometimes beds are scarce or not available.  Although the Hospice unit at St. Mary’s Hospital is staffed by Genesee Region Home Care, patients of the Visiting Nurse Hospice can be admitted there. A VNS Hospice nurse or social worker will visit the patient and family daily Monday through Friday.

© 2001 Geoff Lister. This document may be copied in its entirety freely. It may be reproduced in electronic and paper form under the condition that no charge be made for its reproduction and that the author is cited.  Please provide feedback to Geoff Lister.

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