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Hospice & Home Health for Arkansas

Hospice

What is Hospice?

The Hospice program is designed to assist with the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their families when the disease cannot be cured. Through Hospice care, terminally ill patients live in a comfortable, pain-free manner during the end state of the disease.

Hospice care is provided primarily at home or in a nursing home setting, although inpatient care is also available as needed. For even more information, we invite you to visit our new web site!

Services Provided by Baptist Health Hospice nursing care

Assistance with pain/symptom management
Professional nursing care on a regular basis; assistance is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Home health aide and homemaker services
Counseling for individuals and families
Medical social work services to link families' financial, legal and social resources as needed
Spiritual help from Hospice chaplains
Dietary guidance
Physical, occupational and speech therapies
Volunteer services to offer respite and assistance to the family
Bereavement services
Short-term inpatient care for pain/symptom management or for family respite
Coping With Life After Loss

One of the services provided by Baptist Health Hospice is Grief Support Groups to assist surviving family members in coping with their loss. These groups are open to anyone desiring to participate. The support groups are offered 3 times a year (February, June and October) for six weeks each time. A Little Rock group is always offered and the others rotate locations between North Little Rock, Stuttgart and Conway. For more information about support groups, please call the Hospice office at 202-7474.

Community Bereavement Support Resources

Other support groups called "Life After Loss" are available in the community. To register for these groups or for a time and location nearest you, please call the American Cancer Society at 501-603-5207.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hospice only for cancer patients?

No. Cancer is not the only condition that warrants hospice care. Terminally ill patients suffering from any of these diseases are eligible for hospice nursing care:

End stage Alzheimer's
ALS
End stage cardiovascular disease
End stage CVA (stroke)
End stage pulmonary disease
End stage renal disease
End stage dementia
End stage liver disease

Is Hospice covered by my insurance?

In most cases, yes. Hospice is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance policies.

What if I have no insurance (or my insurance doesn't cover Hospice)?

Hospice nursing care and services are available to anyone who meets Hospice criteria, regardless of ability to pay.

Can you only receive Hospice care for a 6-month period?

No. The Medicare and Medicaid Hospice benefit is actually indefinite. As long as the patient meets the criteria, they can continue to receive the care. In some cases, private insurance policies have limitations on hospice coverage. However, once admitted to Hospice we will continue providing care even if the insurance benefits are exhausted.

Does Hospice mean "giving up"?

Not at all. Hospice means having individualized care focusing on pain and symptom management and quality of life.

Is it true that you cannot go back to the hospital once you are admitted to Hospice?

No. Inpatient care is a part of the Hospice benefit. A patient can return to the hospital if pain or symptoms cannot be controlled well at home. The Hospice RN helps with this process.