Services & Programs

Hospice is not a place, but a philosophy that views death as a natural part of life and is committed to the simple belief that each of us has the right to die pain-free. SVNA Hospice offers palliative (comfort) care rather than curative treatment for individuals diagnosed with a life expectancy of six months or less. It neither prolongs life nor hastens death.

Palliative care includes symptom and pain control to enable the patient to live as fully and as comfortably as possible. Palliative care, plus the wealth of other services SVNA provides to patients and their families, provides the dying person with the best possible quality of care and the family with the assistance and support it needs to care for its loved one. Hospice care is focused on the quality of life, on the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the person at the end of life, whether that life lasts for months, weeks or days.

Once a person chooses SVNA Hospice care, an interdisciplinary team develops an individual plan, with the patient and family outlining the medical and support services they want and need. The patient's personal physician is a key member. Members of the SVNA Hospice team make regular visits and are available to our patients and their families 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We also have a group of trained volunteers who help however they can, from running errands to staying with the patient so that caregivers can take some time for themselves.

In most cases, SVNA Hospice care is provided to patients in their homes, but it is also available to those in a hospital or residential and assisted living communities. SVNA Hospice staff coordinate with the facility staff to provide patients an extra measure of time and direct care.

SVNA Hospice care can make provision for specialized equipment such as hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, and medical supplies. We also have a dedicated group of trained volunteers who visit with the patient and family, run errands, or sit with the patient so that caregivers have time to get out of the house and take time for themselves.

Call 860-435-0816 and ask about hospice care
or email us at info@salisburyvna.org for more information.