Services
End of Life Care
At Stewart Memorial, we are committed to providing you and your family with exceptional care in every stage of life—even during life’s most difficult moments. During the end-of-life experience, our focus is on delivering compassionate care that honors the dignity, comfort, and emotional needs of both patients and their loved ones. We strive to offer the support and resources you need to navigate this time as smoothly as possible, allowing you to focus on what truly matters—being together.
Indicators for End of Life
- Chronic disease with eventual end in death or terminal illness
- Increase in hospitalization
- ER visits
- Mental status changes
- Changes in ability to care for self
- Withdrawal or lack of interest from social activities, hobbies, or from family
- Loss of appetite or weight changes
- Increase in time spent sleeping
- Increase or worsening of symptoms related to chronic or terminal disease
Hospice Services
Stewart Memorial partners with various hospice organizations to ensure the patient and their loved ones are cared for throughout the end of life journey. Hospice services can be provided in the patient’s home environment. However, there are circumstances in which hospice care can be provided in the hospital setting as well. This is usually short-term.
Hospice services focus first on the physical comfort and needs of the patient. It also focuses on the mental, emotional, social, bereavement, and spiritual needs of the patient and family. Hospice provides a team approach to manage the patient’s symptoms and needs. This team may include a primary medical provider, nurses, social worker, aide, chaplain, pharmacist, and homemakers. Some hospice agencies offer additional services, such as massage or music therapy. Hospice care is focused more on the comfort and quality of life of the patient, rather than on the extending of life. Hospice services are typically covered under Medicare and most insurances.
There are also times that end of life care, or comfort care, is provided without hospice involvement. In those cases Stewart Memorial staff provide emotional support and loving care to the patient and families. Our staff can help explain the available options, resources, and choices (hospice, other care at home, family caregiving, etc). We can walk with you during this emotional and stressful time, allowing patients to be with their loved ones and spend their last days in the manner that they wish. Education and emotional support for the patient and family play a key role during this time.
We have contracts with many local hospice agencies to offer the comfort, care and resources you and your loved ones may need for end of life care.
