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Hospice care focuses on quality of life and makes comfort a priority. It emphasizes a patient's dignity and right to personal choice at the end of life.

Hospice care neither hastens nor postpones death. It affirms life and regards dying as a normal process.

CREATING A CIRCLE OF CARE Most of the people we serve want to stay at home when they are sick or dying. The people who love them want to make that happen. We have designed our services to help make that work. As an independent nonprofit hospice we can put our patients' needs and wishes first. In times of illness and transition, loving care is a gift. Creating a circle of care with family and friends provides support for both the patient and the caregivers. By learning a few basic skills, and with support from us, families and friends can become the best of caregivers. We support the circle of care with organization, information, training, and counsel. We honor the spiritual and emotional aspects of care as well as the physical. Trained volunteers can also supplement the circle of care. We work closely with the patient's physician for pain and symptom management. If hospitalization is necessary, we can help with the patient's and family's needs there too.

WHAT IS UNUSUAL ABOUT HOSPICE SERVICES IN THIS COMMUNITY? We don't have home healthcare services or Medicare hospice services in our community because these government funded agencies have not been able to survive here financially. We have had to find our own way of providing services in this remote rural area. Because Heart of the Redwoods Community Hospice is not funded by government, Medicare regulations don't restrict our services or service area. Unlike government funded hospices, which require a six month prognosis, we can provide early services in addition to end-of-life care. We can serve patients who want to pursue curative treatment as well as those who want only comfort care. We can also help support the chronically ill and the frail elderly.