Hospice care
Hospice care in Minnesota and western Wisconsin
Coming to terms with a life-limiting illness can be challenging. When you want to make the most of the time that’s remaining, it can be difficult to decide what steps to take and who to trust with your care.
When you choose hospice care, pain relief and symptom management are often the primary goals. Hospice helps a person feel good enough to live their final days to the fullest, with people they want to spend time with, and in the places that make them feel the most comfortable.
Hospice is a philosophy of providing compassionate care to you and your loved ones. It’s not a specific place, but rather services to provide individualized care wherever you call home.
HealthPartners offers hospice services to people in the Twin Cities metro, southwest Minnesota and western Wisconsin. These services are offered through established hospice care programs from HealthPartners, Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital, Lakeview Hospital and Olivia Hospital.
Hospice care that’s tailored to your needs
Hospice care is for people who are dealing with a life-limiting condition that’s been identified by their doctor. This means:
- The length of your life is limited by an illness
- You are no longer receiving treatment to cure the illness
- You have a life expectancy of months rather than years if the illness progresses as expected
It can feel overwhelming to make decisions about hospice care, and you probably have questions. When you turn to us for hospice care, we’ll help you understand hospice care, what to expect, and options for providing the best care for yourself or your loved one. Then with your input, guidance from your care team and oversight from your hospice doctor, we’ll create a care plan to meet your unique needs.
Factors to consider when choosing hospice care
When you are choosing hospice care, look for a hospice program that:
- Is Medicare certified – Programs that are Medicare certified meet set standards for providing a high quality of care. Our programs are certified by Medicare and Medicaid.
- Was surveyed by a state oversight agency within the last five years – The oversight helps ensure that the hospice program you choose follows current best practices for hospice care. Our non-profit hospice programs are routinely surveyed by the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
- Is accredited by a national organization – Accreditation is another way to ensure that the hospice care meets certain standards. Our programs are accredited by the state of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
- Is established and proven – A hospice program that has been around for a long time is likely to be stable and reliable. Our hospice programs are part of organizations that been providing care within their community for at least 70 years.
- Comes well recommended from families of patients – Recommendations from other families are one of the best ways to tell if the hospice provider will be a good fit for you. According to Care Compare listings on the
Medicare website , between 83% and 91% of people would recommend HealthPartners hospice care programs. - Coordinates care with other providers – When receiving hospice care through our programs, you’ll have access and support from the entire care system. This can help streamline care for wound healing, dementia and other conditions.
- Is committed to respecting different cultures and values –
Cultural differences can impact a person’s health care experience . Our hospice programs take steps to make sure that our care providers appreciate and reflect your culture and values.
"Thank you to the team that came to our parents’ home to care for mom. All of you are angels. Your patience and understanding top all others. I could not have picked a better group of health care professionals to care for our mother in her last month. I’m so happy you were a part of her journey. Thank you again."
Hospice care locations in Minnesota and western Wisconsin
We offer hospice services to people in the Twin Cities metro, southwest Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Our hospice services are provided wherever our patients call home. This includes:
- Private residences
- Nursing homes
- Long-term care facilities
- Assisted living facilities
- Hospital or an in-patient facility
Hospice services we provide
- Caregiver support
- Hair care*
- Individual and family counseling
- Massage therapy*
- Medication management
- Music therapy*
- Nutrition support
- Pain and symptom management
- Patient and caregiver education
- Personal care (baths and hygiene)
- Pet therapy*
Physical therapy - Spiritual care
*Service may not be available in all areas.
Our hospice care team makes each person’s care and comfort its highest priority. Based on your preferences, needs and care plan, the care team may include any of the following:
- Hospice doctor – A hospice doctor is trained in end-of-life care and an expert in managing symptoms a person may have during this time of life. They are responsible for a patient’s overall care and work closely with the hospice team to coordinate all the support they need.
- Hospice nurse – Our hospice nurses assess and manage medications, as well as coordinate day-to-day care with other members of our team. They are in constant communication with the doctor to make sure you or your loved one is getting everything you need to remain comfortable.
- Hospice aide – Our hospice aides can provide support for routine personal care, such as bathing, nail care, oral hygiene, dressing and eating. The extra support hospice aides provide can relieve family caregivers and improve safety.
- Social worker – Our social workers provide emotional support to help you and your family cope and manage grief. For services hospice may not provide, your social worker can help you find community resources that may be available.
- Spiritual counselor – A counselor (also known as a chaplain) is available for scheduled visits or as needed to provide individual and family spiritual support. No matter your religious or cultural background, a spiritual counselor can provide an opportunity to talk about your life experiences, the spiritual aspects of illness and any end-of-life rituals important to you or your loved one. This counselor can contact clergy or spiritual counselors from your faith community on your behalf.
- Interpreter – When receiving hospice care, it can sometimes feel most comforting and safe for patients and families to describe feelings and thoughts in their primary language. We offer language interpreters so families can communicate in the language that’s most comfortable for them.
- Therapists – Specialized therapists are available to promote relaxation and help reduce stress and anxiety. Integrative therapy services provide added resources to help manage symptoms and make things more comfortable. These therapies focus on your mind and spirit.
- Volunteers – Specially trained hospice volunteers provide a variety of services, from listening and companionship to running errands.
- Grief counselor – Specially trained grief counselors provide support and guidance to the family before and after the loss of a loved one. Bereavement services include individual counseling, classes about grief, grief support groups and reassurance telephone calls. In addition, we can connect people to a highly trained mental health expert for additional services such as talk therapy to help with grief.
“Thank you so much for the deep care and deep respect you offered my brother in the last stages of his long journey. He felt safe and strongly held by your professional presence, advocacy, and wonderful kindness.”
Part A Medicare and Medicaid covers the cost of most hospice care services for qualifying patients. In most cases, there aren’t copays or additional bills for you or your family. Many private insurances also cover hospice care for qualifying patients. We’ll work with your family to determine your hospice benefit and any out-of-pocket costs. If services aren’t covered, and there’s a financial need, donations and memorial funds may be used to cover the cost whenever possible.
Criteria to qualify for hospice care
- The patient’s doctor and the hospice program’s medical director must certify that the patient is eligible
- The patient’s care goals are relief of symptoms, rather than curative treatment
- The patient or their health care agent (such as a family member) consents to hospice care