Hospice

2305 South 65 Highway
Marshall, MO
(660) 831-3293
Fax: (660) 831-3316

"Caring hands . . . Caring hearts"

Through the centuries, hospice has meant "a place of rest for travelers." Today, it refers to a special type of program that provides skilled care and emotional support to families and patients in the last month of life. While quality medical care under the direction of a patient's attending physician is an important aspect of hospice, meeting the spiritual, social and emotional needs of the family unit is equally important.

Fitzgibbon Mary Montgomery Hospice is a non-profit team of specially-trained professionals. We provide home-centered care for terminally ill people and their families, emphasizing comfort and support to patients and their families when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatments.

The very existence of Fitzgibbon Mary Montgomery Hospice serves as a lasting memorial to one special woman and her family.  When Mary Montgomery learned she was terminally ill, she chose to live out her last days in her home.  With the help of her family, friends and others, her request was granted.

“You matter to the last moment of your life, and we will do all we can,
not only to help you die peacefully, but to live until you die.”
- Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement

What is hospice?  Hospice is end-of-life care for those whose illness no longer responds to curative treatment. The goal is to provide compassionate comfort care while maintaining dignity and quality of life.

Through Fitzgibbon Hospital, Fitzgibbon Mary Montgomery Hospice operates as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. It received certification from Medicare in mid-1993 and serves Saline, Northern Pettis and Eastern Lafayette Counties.

Who pays for hospice?  Because hospice is dedicated to meeting the needs of terminally ill people and their families, care is given regardless of the patient's available insurance coverage or their ability to pay. Periodic fund-raisers, contributions from the community, memorial donations and bequests make it possible for the hospice program to care for those who otherwise would have no means of payment.

Hospice includes:

Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance companies offer hospice benefits.

• short-term inpatient hospital stays when medically necessary or for caregiver respite
• nurses who are available for potential problems around-the-clock
• medications for pain control and symptom management
• hospice aide services; periodic visits from trained volunteers
• medical supplies and equipment related to the terminal illness
• medical social services
• hospice chaplain services
• dietary counseling and physical, speech and occupation therapies when appropriate
• Medicaid and many private insurance plans also pay for hospice services

The hospice team works with the patient's family to develop a personalized plan of care right in the patient's home, assisted living or in a nursing home. Currently, Fitzgibbon Mary Montgomery Hospice provides hospice care at nursing and residential facilities in the area.

Hospice is Caring

• Emphasis is on "palliative" rather than curative treatment. Pain and symptom control enables our patients to live each day fully and in comfort.


• Hospice treats the person, not the disease. The hospice team helps the patient and family see dying as a natural process. It seeks neither to hasten nor postpone death, but rather to help the patient live with dignity and respect, surrounded by loved ones.


• Care is home-centered. Patients value the familiar surroundings. Loved ones or significant others are encouraged to provide as much of the care as possible and are provided instructions as needed.


• Patient and family are treated as a unit. All are included in decision-making, and patients may choose how and where they want to spend the rest of their lives.


• Our hospice team provides emotional and spiritual support. The hospice social worker, chaplain and volunteers are available to listen, not only to patients but also to caregivers, who may neglect their own needs. Bereavement counseling is provided after the death of a loved one.


• A hospice nurse is on call 24 hours a day. Although regular hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The hospice nurse may be contacted at any time to provide assistance.


• Special bereavement services are available. Available Bereavement Services include a bereavement letter program consisting of monthly correspondence and educational material about grief; community based grief support in a group setting; a library consisting of educational resources on grief and loss; and an annual community memorial service called the “Tree of Life”  for families to remember and honor loved ones during the holiday season.





 

Hospice is Giving

Trained volunteers provide aid to the patient and family. A volunteer may sit with a patient while the caregiver naps or runs errands, read to the patient, sing or just be a good listener.  We are proud of our compassionate, caring and dedicated group of volunteers