Hospice Care

The Brooklyn Hospital Center (TBHC) recently partnered with Calvary Hospital to provide excellent hospice care. Hospice is a medical approach that strives to alleviate end-of-life pain and symptoms, while helping the patient live as fully as possible. Our hospice team works side-by-side with patients and families to support them and provide holistic, compassionate care. Hospice enables people with terminal illnesses to choose how and where they want to spend the rest of their lives.

What services does hospice at TBHC offer?

• Physical relief from pain and uncomfortable symptoms.
• Emotional support that helps patients and caregivers cope with loneliness, isolation and fear.
• Allowing for shared time with family and friends.
• Spiritual care for patients and their families.
• Help as patients make choices about advance directives.
• Bereavement support — we stay in touch with the family and caregivers for 13 months after the loss of a loved one.

Is hospice a place?
Hospice is really an approach to care. For TBHC inpatients, that approach is delivered in a six-bed dedicated section of TBHC’s medical surgery unit, located on the seventh floor.

Why a partnership with Calvary Hospital?
 

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Founded in 1899, Calvary Hospital is the nation’s only hospital devoted to providing hospice and palliative-related care to adult patients. Over the past 10 years, Calvary has partnered with other hospitals in the greater New York area to offer inpatient hospice care for patients and their families.

So who is providing care, Calvary or TBHC?
Both. The TBHC team retains responsibility for the day-to-day and hands-on care of the patient. Calvary’s expert team is on-site daily to collaborate, advise and provide end-of-life support for patients, their families and the teams at TBHC.

Can patients keep their doctor?
Patients are encouraged to continue with their personal doctors. TBHC and Calvary work with doctors to establish a plan that supports the quality of life for patients and their families.

Can hospice be at home?
Calvary Hospice can also provide hospice care wherever the patient calls home. In collaboration with the TBHC team, Calvary assesses the patient as to whether a home-based option is possible. If the patient is assessed as appropriate for home hospice care, TBHC and Calvary teams will coordinate the safe transition of the patient to home.

Who pays for hospice?

• Hospice is covered for patients with Medicare Part A.
• Patient selects hospice benefit instead of standard Medicare benefits for the illness.
• Hospice is also covered by most managed care and private insurance.

What if a patient changes their mind?

• Patients may revoke the hospice benefit at any time.
• If a patient chooses to revoke hospice status, Medicare or other coverage is reinstated.

How does someone become a hospice patient?
Referrals may be made by patients, family members, friends, hospitals, clinics, physicians, other healthcare professionals and community agencies. Call 718-472-1999 for more information.