VITAS Innovative Hospice Care®

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VITAS Innovative Hospice Care®

105 Marquette St.
Suite A
La Salle, IL 61301

Values, Mission and Vision

VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® is defined by the needs of the patients and families we serve. Our first patient, Emmy Philhour, made us this offer: “Help me stay at home, and I’ll teach you how to care for me.” We agreed, and this commitment to service and learning still drives us today.

Like Emmy, each of the hundreds of thousands of patients and families we’ve served has taught us something about compassionate care. Today, as a leader in the hospice movement in the United States, we are continuing to evolve and meet the changing needs of those with a life-limiting illness and their families. As we adapt to the ever-changing healthcare environment, however, we are guided as always by our VITAS Values.

VITAS Values

* Patients and families come first.
* We take care of each other.
* I’ll do my best today and do even better tomorrow.
* I am proud to make a difference.

VITAS Mission
We are a growing family of hospices providing the highest quality human services, products and case management to terminally ill and other appropriate patients and their families with measurable advantages for the patient, the family, the medical community, the employee and the stockholder.

VITAS Vision
For 30 years, VITAS has advocated for the rights of terminally ill patients and their families. We believe that patients should be apprised of their clinical prognosis and be involved in the decision-making process that determines how their end-of-life care is provided.

HOSPICE CARE

VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® works closely with patients’ attending physicians, and we partner with hospitals, nursing homes, insurers and community-based organizations throughout the country to enhance our ability to address the discomfort, fears and high expenses that often accompany an incurable illness. This collaborative approach meets the specific needs of the terminally ill and their families, promoting comfort and preserving dignity while offering options and choices that go far beyond accepted medical standards.

VITAS provides care in patients’ homes, as well as in the company’s dedicated inpatient hospice units or in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities/residential care facilities—wherever people could benefit from hospice care. The goal is to support patients and manage their care in the setting they consider home.

If at some point a patient needs more constant care, VITAS can provide shifts of hospice staff for a brief period to help the patient at home. If a patient needs care beyond what can be safely provided at home, VITAS has special arrangements with local hospitals and other facilities where patients may receive necessary inpatient care to manage the crisis until they can once again return home.

Hospice is covered by Medicare, Medicaid/Medi-Cal and most private insurance. Since VITAS accepts Medicare and Medicaid as coverage for hospice care, there are no out-of-pocket expenses for eligible patients or their loved ones.


Hospice Levels of Care

VITAS’ Medicare- and Medicaid- covered, coordinated package of services includes all of the highly qualified professionals needed to deliver the hospice plan of care.

* Routine Home Care: VITAS provides residential care and has established partnerships with long-term care facilities and nursing homes, assisted living facilities and residential care facilities for the elderly.
* Continuous Care (Intensive Comfort Care): VITAS can provide shifts of hospice staff for a brief period to help the patient remain at home through a difficult time, rather than transferring the patient to a hospital.
* Inpatient Units: VITAS has special arrangements with local hospitals and other facilities where patients may receive necessary and appropriate inpatient care to address needs beyond what can be safely managed at home.
* Respite Care: Limited to five consecutive days, respite care provides a brief “respite” for the patient’s primary caregiver by admitting the home care patient to an institutional setting without meeting the “inpatient” pain and symptom management criteria.

In addition, VITAS’ comprehensive package of services, coordinated with the patient’s attending physician, includes:

* Drugs, Equipment and Supplies: VITAS covers all medications, medical equipment and supplies required for comfort and safety to treat the patient’s life-limiting illness.

* Telecare: A VITAS nurse is just a phone call away 24/7/365. VITAS staff will also come to the home any time that is necessary to respond to crises related to the illness.

* Bereavement: VITAS provides effective support to meet the needs of family members and friends after their loved one has died, helping them to get through the experience of loss and bereavement.