Hospice of Michigan Offers Statewide Palliative Care Program

Oct. 23, 2013 - PRLog -- Michigan’s largest non-profit hospice and palliative care organization has already begun accepting patients for At Home Choices, which is available to patients and families in 56 Michigan counties. Patients referred to the program do not need to meet hospice eligibility criteria, but have serious, life-limiting illnesses that would benefit from pain and symptom management and other palliative care services.

Initially offered on a small scale to patients in Southeast Michigan, At Home Choices will now be available to patients served by any of the organization’s 16 statewide offices. HOM currently provides hospice and palliative care for more than 1,400 patients a day in counties stretching across the Lower Peninsula from Emmet to Allegan to Monroe.

“We see tremendous need for expanded palliative care services in our state, so Hospice of Michigan is responding,” said Dottie Deremo, president and CEO of HOM. “By offering additional support early on to those suffering from serious illness, we are able to better manage symptoms and relieve pain. This type of care can relieve stress and anxiety, providing the patient – and family caregivers – with greater comfort and improved quality of life.”

At Home Choices is one of a growing suite of advanced illness management programs developed by HOM to improve care, reduce costs and allow patients to remain in their homes for as long as possible. Each patient and family is assigned a dedicated nurse case manager who assists the patient with palliative needs and care planning in collaboration with the patient’s primary care physician.

If needed, the nurse case manager can also bring additional resources, which may include a social worker and spiritual care advisor to assist the family. If necessary, a palliative care physician may also be called.

New patients receive an in-person needs assessment by an At Home Choices clinical staff member to develop an individual scope of treatment plan. HOM collaborates with the patient’s current medical providers to optimize medical treatment for pain and other symptom control.

“We are excited to offer this new service to our patients,” said Barb Medvec, senior vice president and chief nursing officer for Oakwood Health System, one of the healthcare providerswho has referred patients to At Home Choices. “Having direct access to a clinical team who specializes in palliative care provides patients with a higher and more personalized level of service. We appreciate the innovation that HOM brings to the table and look forward to partnering with them to provide better care for our patients.”

The At Home Choices program joins At Home Support as part of a continuum of palliative and hospice care from HOM that is available to patients, hospitals and health systems. Now serving more than 475 Michigan patients daily, At Home Support provides both comfort care and hospice care to patients with advanced chronic illness who are in the final 18-24 months of life.

HOM began formulating the program for At Home Support more than a decade ago based on research that showed more and more people would benefit from extended support in the final two years of their lives. During a three-year pilot program with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, At Home Support was able to save 36 percent of healthcare expenses each month a patient was enrolled on the program.

For more information about At Home Choices, please call 888.227.8823. To see a list of counties served by HOM, visit http://www.hom.org/?page_id=6.

About Hospice of Michigan

A nationally recognized leader in end-of-life care, Hospice of Michigan is the original – and largest – hospice in the state of Michigan. The non-profit organization cares for more than 1,400 patients each day in 56 counties, raising more than $4 million each year to cover the cost of care for the uninsured and underinsured. HOM offers innovative programs to enhance the quality of care for people at the end of life, education programs for physicians and healthcare professionals, caregiver education materials, cultural diversity programs for end-of-life care, and research and education programs at the Maggie Allesee Center for Quality of Life. For more information, call Hospice of Michigan’s CARE Center 24/7 at 888.247.5701 or go to www.hom.org.