Hospice

University Hospitals Provides Hospice Care for the Terminally Ill

Supportive Oncology Services at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio, partners with hospice care providers within the community to improve the quality of life for terminally ill patients with cancer and their families.

Hospice is a type of palliative care that is provided at the patient’s home, in hospice settings or within the hospital. To qualify for hospice care, a patient usually has a life expectancy of approximately six months.

UH Seidman Cancer Center Provides Hospice Care Specialists

UH Seidman Cancer Center has a trained multidisciplinary team of healthcare experts who are available to work with outside hospices to provide care, including the following specialists:

• Physicians
• Nurses
• Social workers
• Chaplains
• Home care aids
• Trained volunteers
• Pharmacists
• Bereavement counselors

Hospice Care Provides Psychological and Social Support

The goal of hospice care is to provide terminally ill patients with comfort and dignity in this end of life phase. Hospice care will provide compassionate care and support and can:

• Help relieve symptoms
• Provide for spiritual and cultural needs
• Give social and psychological support to patient and family members
• Help family members actively support the patient
• Be available for 24-hour care or on-call care
• Provide respite for caregivers
• Give bereavement support

UH physicians can refer patients needing appropriate hospice care to either UH Hospice or Hospice of the Western Reserve at University Hospitals.