Hospice of Aroostook has been providing end-of-life services to Aroostook County families for 30 years. For nearly 15 of those years, Jane Zimmerman, RN, has been offering the compassionate care of hospice to southern Aroostook residents. Zimmerman retired at the end of June after more than 20 years with Visiting Nurses of Aroostook/Hospice of Aroostook.
“I remain passionate about hospice care in The County,” explained Zimmerman. “And yet, I felt this was the right time for me to retire. We have a great team that will keep on providing the same great hospice care for which we are known.”
Jessica Parady-Thompson, Hospice of Aroostook team supervisor, has appreciated the passion Zimmerman is known for in the community.
“When it comes to patient care, Jane is among the best!,” said Parady-Thompson. “The entire team at Visiting Nurses of Aroostook/ Hospice of Aroostook will miss her and appreciates the compassion and skills she has shared with her colleagues to help ensure hospice services remain strong in southern Aroostook.”
Zimmerman has spent many hours providing education about hospice services to health care providers and community members alike.
“People don’t like any word that is associated with dying,” Zimmerman said. “But it happens to all of us. When that time is near, hospice can help make a loved one comfortable and help the family through the difficulty of accepting their loss.”
What is hospice?
Hospice is comprehensive care of the patient at the end of life, which is provided to all individuals regardless of their ability to pay. The hospice program is for people with a life-limiting illness who want comfort care rather than curative treatment. Hospice professionals specialize in pain and symptom management; physical, emotional and spiritual support; as well as support of the family including comprehensive bereavement services and volunteer support.
It may be time for someone to consider hospice when a person has six months or less to live; a patient is enduring treatment that is neither life-prolonging nor enhancing quality of life and/or family and loved ones are postponing a discussion about end of life because of a fear that the patient will think they have given up.
An early referral to hospice means improved quality of life for patients. Common diagnoses include, but are not limited to: Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, heart and liver diseases, cancer, COPD and other lung diseases and neurological diseases such as ALS and Parkinson’s.
Who is eligible for hospice?
Anyone with a terminal illness who has decided to stop seeking curative treatment is eligible for hospice. The initiation of hospice care requires a referral from a doctor certifying that the person has been diagnosed with a disease or illness that, if it ran its normal course, would result in a prognosis of six months or less to live. That doesn’t limit patients to six months of care, however, as hospice care can continue as long as the illness is terminal.
What does it cost?
Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance companies cover hospice-related services at 100 percent including the cost of all medications, medical equipment and supplies related to the terminal illness. Insurance typically does not require a deductible or co-payment. For families with a lack of insurance coverage there is a sliding fee program. Caring professionals are here to help patients and families understand their options.
A family member recently summed up her experience with Hospice of Aroostook in a poem:
I called on the help of Hospice, the loving team members began aiding in his care;
relieving me of those duties so that we were able to reminisce about the memories we shared;
Through home, respite and nursing home care, the devoted Hospice team members were always there;
providing gentle guidance throughout the last days of his journey showed us how much they really cared;
which made us so very aware that a program like this should never be spared.
Hospice of Aroostook has been providing services for nearly 30 years. Last year, staff and volunteers provided compassionate end-of-life care to 199 patients and their families. For more information about services or to view family testimonials, visit www.easternmainehomecare.org or call the patient referral line toll free at 1-866-591-8843.
