• Telephone access to a Hospice nurse 24-hours a day, 7-days a week
• Physician trained in hospice care
• Nurse who is an expert in pain control and symptom management
• Home Health Aide who assists with personal care
• Medical social worker who provides supportive counseling as well as guidance with legal and financial issues, care options and community resources
• Spiritual counselor who offers comfort by addressing fears and concerns
• Development of an individual plan of care
• Durable Medical Equipment and medical supplies to ensure patient comfort and safety
• Medications for pain and symptom management
• Volunteer who provides companionship during friendly visits and lends a helping hand
• Bereavement support for family members for one year following the death of a loved one

Palliative care is patient- and family-centered care that prioritizes quality of life and seeks to ease the symptoms of serious illness. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness and can be provided along with curative treatments. It addresses the physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual needs of seriously ill patients and their families. We provide these services:

• Regular home visits by a palliative care physician or nurse practitioner
• Pain and symptom management
• Patient/Family education
• Assistance navigating complex care needs and connection to vital community resources
• Advanced care planning
• 24/7 telephone support
• Emotional and spiritual support

Hospice is a special way of caring for people with life-limiting illnesses that includes caring for the physical, emotional, social and spiritual parts of the "whole" person. The hospice concept is not new. In fact, hospices provided comfort, kindness and spiritual nourishment to people in need for hundreds of years. Today, hospice programs offer that same tradition of comfort to people as they near the end of life's journey.

• View some general FAQs about hospice
• Learn about some myths surrounding hospice care

Services provided by our network will be billed to your insurance. We will obtain necessary authorizations from your insurance and physicians to determine hospice care coverage eligibility. We will provide you with a financial responsibility letter outlining your insurance benefits and cost specific to the services rendered by our agency. This will help you make an informed decision about your care.

For patients with Medicare, Medi-Cal or Private Insurance, we will bill your insurance directly. Patient responsibility, identified by your insurance carrier, will be billed to you on a monthly basis. For patients that do not have insurance coverage, we will bill you or your guarantor directly for the services rendered. As the patient, you are ultimately responsible for payment for the services rendered. If you are concerned about financial burden, Providence Hospice LA County and SoCal Palliative Care can work with you directly. We have a Foundation program that can assist qualifying patients.

We have multilingual clinicians to meet a variety of languages represented in the community we serve. In addition, we provide both telephone and video interpreter services.

Patient safety and quality care are of paramount concern at Providence Hospice LA County and SoCal Palliative Care. We have implemented a number of strategies to achieve continuous improvement in this area. In addition, we encourage our patients to participate in our efforts to increase safe practices in their home.

Referrals to hospice come from physicians, hospitals, family members, skilled nursing facilities and residential care facilities. A patient is appropriate for hospice when aggressive treatment has ended and the patient chooses comfort care. The focus of care becomes one of quality of life, including pain and symptom management.

The patient is referred by the physician who oversees his or her care, and who is in agreement with the hospice philosophy and life-limiting prognosis. Hospice team members continue to work closely with the physician throughout the course of treatment.

Our admissions team can help answer your questions and determine eligibility. For more information and to make a referral call us today: 800-829-8660.

• Advance care planning
• Grief support services
• Health and resource video library
• Hospice palliative nursing association teaching sheets
• Physician information
• Responsibilities after death
• The conversation project
• The final journey

Many times, a family will look for ways to say "Thank you" to the clinicians and staff that have compassionately cared for their loved one. There are several ways to do this.

A family may tell their friends that “In Lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to Providence TrinityCare Hospice Foundation. “When such donations are made, the family is mailed a card with the name and address of the person who made the gift. The dollar amount of the gift is not disclosed. The person who made the donation also receives a written acknowledgement that serves as their receipt. Should the family wish, the Foundation office will provide pre-addressed envelopes for the family to distribute. Such gifts may also be made online. All contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law, and truly appreciated.

Nurses, physicians, aides, social workers, chaplains and volunteers of all kinds – for these dedicated caregivers, their healing work is more than a job, it is a calling to serve and fulfill the Providence mission. When you donate in honor of an outstanding caregiver, he or she is recognized as a Guardian Angel and receives a special pin as a symbol of your appreciation. When you give in honor of the Guardian Angel(s) who helped your family, it is not only a meaningful expression of gratitude, it is also a vital investment that strengthens the care and comfort we provide. Guardian Angel contributions may be made online or by contacting the Foundation Office.

Providence Hospice and Palliative Care is committed to providing quality care to all patients regardless of their financial situation. We are a nonprofit agency and we rely on individual donations to Providence TrinityCare Hospice Foundation, which was established to financially support the work of the hospice and palliative care teams to ensure that anyone who requires our services can have them regardless of their ability to pay.

• Patient Care Assistance or Charity Care
• Necessities of Life – given to those who may need help with basic needs such as rent or food
• Providence Kids Care – the only dedicated provider pediatric hospice and palliative care services in Los Angeles and Orange counties
• Palliative Care Services for adults and children
• Bereavement Services and The Gathering Place
• Providence Institute for Human Caring

For more information about ways to support the mission-driven programs of Providence Hospice & Palliative Care, please contact the Foundation:

Providence TrinityCare Foundation
5315 Torrance Boulevard, Suite B-1
Torrance, CA 90503
310-543-3440

There are plenty of ways for you to share your gifts with our patients, families, community and staff. There are opportunities to volunteer in the home, hospital and extended care settings as well as in the office providing support to the team. In addition, we have need for volunteer support at special events. Do you have a special talent in the craft department? Do you own a Certified Therapy Dog? We would love for you to join our Volunteer Team. Call us at 800-829-8660, for more information.

Volunteers are interviewed and screened. Then, each Volunteer participates in a comprehensive training which helps prepare them to be an important part of our team.

Our volunteers are people from all walks of life who believe in hospice. They may have had a hospice experience, or they may simply want to help patients and their families during a difficult time. All volunteer services are free of charge.

Volunteers offer companionship and emotional support to both the patient and their loved ones. Even patients who are very weak can enjoy the added comfort and a sense of security from a volunteer's gentle presence.

In addition, volunteers:

• Give a caregiver a break
• Provide transportation to doctors' appointments
• Walk the dog
• Fix lunch
• Go to the grocery store
• Read a story aloud

Specialty volunteer programs include:

• Legacy art
• Virtual reality
• Pet therapy
• Heart touch
• Reiki
• We Honor Veterans Program
• Hear Me Now – Storycorps
• Supportive ZOOM Classes
• Art Class
• Fitness Class
• Game Class

Volunteers, if you would like to know more, ask any member of the hospice or palliative care team or call 800-829-8660 and ask to speak with the Volunteer Coordinator.

Patients, we encourage you to consider requesting a volunteer as part of your hospice team. Volunteers donate their time, so their availability varies but we will do our best to accommodate your request.