FAQs

Hospice care is a philosophy of care, not a place. It is designed for patients who have chosen to focus on comfort and quality of life rather than curative treatment, and whose physician has determined that life expectancy is six months or less if the illness follows its expected course. The goal is to manage pain, control symptoms, and support both the patient and their family through the end of life.

There are four levels of hospice care, each designed for different circumstances and needs. They are not fixed stages a patient moves through in sequence; they are tools the care team uses to respond to what a patient and family need at a given moment.

Routine Hospice Care Routine hospice care is the most common level and is delivered wherever the patient lives, including private homes, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living communities.

General Inpatient Hospice Care General inpatient hospice care is provided in a hospital setting when symptoms cannot be controlled in any other environment. It is a short-term level of care intended to stabilize a crisis.

Continuous Care Continuous care is a time-limited benefit for acute symptom management. A licensed nurse remains with the patient for up to 24 hours to monitor, assess, and administer medications until the situation is under control. This level requires approval from the Jansen Patient Care Coordinator and Medical Director.

Respite Care Respite care allows a patient to stay temporarily in a Medicare-approved facility for up to five consecutive days so that the primary family caregiver can rest.

The right time to call is earlier than most families think. Many people wait until a loved one is in the final days of life, when hospice could have been providing meaningful support for months. Calling Jansen does not commit anyone to anything. It starts a conversation.

Palliative care and hospice care share the same underlying values, but they serve different moments in a patient’s experience. Palliative care can begin at any stage of illness and can be provided alongside curative or life-prolonging treatment. Hospice care is appropriate when a patient chooses to focus on comfort rather than further curative treatment and a physician has determined they are eligible. Palliative care is not a substitute for hospice.

A patient qualifies for hospice when a physician certifies that life expectancy is six months or less if the illness follows its expected course, and the patient chooses to focus on comfort-oriented care rather than curative treatment.

One of the most persistent misconceptions about hospice is that it is only for people with cancer. Hospice is available for any terminal illness, including heart failure, COPD, end-stage renal disease, liver disease, stroke, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other life-limiting conditions.

Anyone can reach out to Jansen to begin the process. Physicians, hospital discharge planners, social workers, family members, and patients themselves can all make the first call. Jansen can be reached at 914-787-6158. There is no requirement to have a formal referral from a physician before calling, though a physician must certify the hospice diagnosis for the benefit to begin.

Yes, physician involvement is required, but Jansen coordinates much of that process. Most hospice patients have two physicians involved in their care: their personal physician, who continues to oversee their overall medical care, and the Jansen hospice physician, who is board-certified in hospice and palliative care and focuses on symptom management within the hospice plan. The two work together, and a family does not need to manage that relationship on their own.

The Jansen care team is made up of professionals from several disciplines, each with a defined role.

• Hospice physician: board-certified in hospice and palliative care, works alongside the patient’s personal doctor to manage symptoms related to the terminal diagnosis.
• Registered nurses: coordinate the plan of care, manage pain and symptom control, provide family education, and make regular home visits, typically one to two times per week.
• Certified home health aides: assist with personal care and daily activities on a schedule built around the patient and family’s needs.
• Medical social workers: address the emotional and practical dimensions of end-of-life care and ensure the patient’s wishes are documented and honored.
• Chaplain: provides spiritual care and support across all religious traditions and belief systems.
• Trained volunteers: offer companionship and give family caregivers time to rest.
• On-call registered nurses: available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer questions, provide support, and make home visits when needed.
• Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and nutritionists: available when clinically appropriate to help maintain function and comfort.

Jansen’s services are organized around the needs of the individual patient and family. Beyond the care team, services include:

• Medications related to the terminal diagnosis
• Medical equipment such as hospital beds and wheelchairs
• Medical supplies
• Bereavement support for families for up to 13 months following the death of a loved one
• Complementary therapy, a program unique to Jansen that includes massage therapy to reduce pain and anxiety, music therapy to provide emotional comfort and a sense of calm, and pet therapy to support connection and well-being at the end of life

Jansen provides care wherever the patient calls home, including private residences, assisted living communities, skilled nursing facilities, and hospitals affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester. The goal is to meet patients in familiar surroundings whenever possible.

Hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans. Under Medicare, the hospice benefit covers virtually all services related to the terminal diagnosis, including nursing visits, physician services, medications, medical equipment, social work, chaplaincy, and aide services, with little to no cost to the patient or family.

Jansen has served every patient in need since it was founded, regardless of their ability to pay. Families without insurance or with limited resources are encouraged to call; no one will be turned away.

Jansen is one of three organizations that make up Lawrence Community Health Services (LCHS), alongside the Bereavement Center of Westchester (BCW) and Lawrence Home Care of Westchester (LHCW). LCHS is a nonprofit network serving Westchester County, with each organization addressing a distinct phase of serious illness and grief. Jansen operates in affiliation with NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester Hospital and the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System, a relationship that supports care coordination when patients require hospital-level services.