- 8515 Lockheed Drive, El Paso TX 79925
- (915) 532-5699
Hospice is not a “place.” It is a set of specialized services that are provided for persons with a life-limiting illness or when curative treatment is no longer an option. Hospice El Paso provides specialized patient care services that include symptom management, emotional support, spiritual support, and volunteers, addressing issues that are most important to the patient’s needs and wants at the end of their life, focusing on improving their quality of life. Hospice care also improves the family and caregiver’s lives by having someone they can lean on and seek guidance from.
There are many misconceptions about what hospice benefits provide. For that reason, many families delay having conversations about end-of-life care. Hospice should be called at any time the patient has been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. Referring early will allow patients and families the most benefit of care. With an earlier admission, there are fewer crises requiring emergency visits or hospital stays. Pain and symptoms are managed much better, and families experience less physical, mental, and emotional stress. All inquiries are equally important, and we are ready to meet with you anytime at your convenience to provide education and answer any questions you may have.
Hospice care starts when a request or a “referral” is made by the patient’s physician, and it can be given by any physician involved in the patients care. A hospice representative will contact and plan a visit with the patient and/or family at a time that best fits their schedule to discuss the hospice care, and a clinical assessment is completed. Once the hospice benefit is elected, services can begin immediately.
One of the features of Hospice El Paso, is that the needs of the family as well as the patient are addressed by the interdisciplinary team. When a patient dies, the family receives up to 13 months of bereavement services. In addition, support groups are offered at no cost to all family members.
Yes. Some people under the hospice benefit are able to still live independently for a while and manage their medications and continue to be mobile. Our hospice staff monitors the patient’s safety and their ability to manage their care. However, part of the admission and plan of care is to plan and prepare for the time in a patient’s illness when 24-hour care will be necessary.
Hospice El Paso has been the community’s leader in end-of-life care for over 40 years. Our hospice team exceeds all industry standards and certifications. Our hospice staff is the most qualified clinical team, with experience in hospice care and providing support with kindness and compassion.
Yes. Pain and other symptoms can usually be controlled in the patient’s home. If a symptom, such as pain, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing or any other symptoms that causes discomfort becomes a problem, the hospice nurse can be reached 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Hospice El Paso’s nurses assess each patient’s pain and symptom control at each visit and collaborates with the physician. Our Hospice medical director and in-house physician are always available to adjust medications.
Hospice El Paso operates a stand-alone inpatient facility, The Center for Compassionate Care, provides 24-hour specialized care for patients with needs beyond what can be provided in the home setting. It is a short-term stay designed to provide appropriate care so patients’ pain and other symptoms related to the patient’s terminal illness are controlled, while enhancing the quality of time remaining.
Although 24-hour care giving is not provided under the hospice benefit, Hospice El Paso provides intermittent nursing visits to assess, monitor and treat symptoms, as well as teach family and caregivers the skills they need to care for their loved one. Our hospice team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer questions or visit anytime the need for support arises.
Yes. Receiving hospice benefits is always a choice. A patient may decide to leave hospice and return to curative or aggressive treatment. If the patient decides to return to hospice care, Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance will permit re-admissions to receive the hospice benefit.
No. Our goal is always to alleviate suffering and manage symptoms. Hospice does nothing to speed up or slow down the patient’s terminal condition. Our role is to provide support and allow the disease process to take its natural course, and provide the most comfortable care for the patient.
Yes. Hospice provides bereavement support to the patient’s family and caregivers for up to 13 months following their loved one’s death. Hospice El Paso’s bereavement support includes personal visits and group support to guide them through the grieving process. Hospice El Paso holds an annual memorial service for families to honor their loved ones in our services.
From the first diagnosis to moments of remembrance, we stand beside families with compassion, resources, and unwavering support tailored to each unique path.
Hospice El Paso is proud to be the first hospice in El Paso, and the only nonprofit hospice in our region We are dedicated to providing the highest-quality care to our patients and understand that every patient has unique needs.
