Hospice Care

We care for your loved ones as if they were our own.

Hospice Care at Long Island Community Hospital is a compassionate program for those with a limited life expectancy in a home setting or a contracted skilled nursing facility.

Medicare, Blue Cross, Medicaid and other health insurance companies cover Hospice services. However, at the Hospice Program, care will be provided regardless of a person’s ability to pay.

What is hospice care?
Hospice care is meant for people in the final months of life and is different from palliative care, which is available at any time during a serious illness. At Long Island Community Hospital our hospice care program focuses on providing patients with the highest possible quality of life until death with:

• Nursing care that emphasizes pain and symptom management, at home or in a skilled nursing facility.
• 24-hour on-call registered nurse.
• Inpatient and respite care at the Medical Center.
• Assistance with personal care.
• Spiritual and emotional counseling.
• Prescribed medications, medical supplies and equipment.
• Physical, occupational and speech therapy.
• Nutritional counseling.
• Friendly visits by trained hospice volunteers.
• Bereavement support.
• Children’s bereavement camp.
• Memorial services throughout the year.

Hospice gives patients and their families the ability to actively participate in care decisions, maintain a sense of control and reach an improved level of physical emotional and spiritual comfort. Through hospice, you’ll:

• Find the resources you need, from answering those day-to-day questions about the course of the illness to obtaining needed equipment, supplies and medicine.
• Learn skills to confidently provide care.
• Understand that help is always available through our professionals.
• Know that care will be provided regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay.

Who qualifies for hospice care?

At the Hospital, hospice care is available to any resident of Suffolk County who has been diagnosed of any life-limiting illness with:

• Patient and family consent to hospice care (focus on comfort, not cure).
• Presence of a significant other person who can aid the patient and act as a liaison between patient and Hospice if the patient cannot act as his/her own representative.

For more information on hospice care, call 631-687-2960.