Services Available in Patient & Family Homes, in Hospitals,
Nursing Facilities & Adult Homes
Dedicated hospice care partnerships serving Niagara County residents.
Our collaborations guide families facing late-stage illnesses.
Niagara Hospice services are a Medicare-covered benefit available to seriously ill residents at their homes or caregiver homes across Niagara County as well as skilled nursing homes, adult homes, hospitals, Niagara Hospice House in Lockport, David's Path at Schoellkopf Health Center in Niagara Falls and Jeanne's House at Northgate Health Care Facility in North Tonawanda.
The goal of all our services is to provide comfort and maximize quality of life for residents - and peace of mind for their families, loved ones and caregivers.
Request Services
In addition to the individualized care received from the nursing or adult home facility, Niagara Hospice complements that care by providing hospice resources and services to the residents and families receiving our care. Each resident in hospice care has an individual plan of care, coordinated with the facility staff, developed to meet the resident's physical, spiritual and psychosocial needs while maximizing quality of life.
With hospice care, a resident and their family have the benefit of more visits from health care professionals such as nurses, social workers, spiritual care coordinators, massage therapists and hospice aides as well as pharmacists who work with the resident's physician to ensure comfort. Hospice volunteers provide the resident with additional companionship and services including pet visits, reading, vigil support and Legacy Recordings.
Services include:
- Increased nursing and social work visits
- Consultations with specialists in pain and symptom management
- Spiritual care
- Hospice Volunteer visits and other services
- Massage and Music therapies
- Pet visits
- Across the Miles video visits with out-of-town family and friends
- Legacy Recording coordination
- Grief support for family members - adults and children
Collaboration with Nursing Facilities
Hospice care within a nursing facility is not a substitute to the facility's care, but brings extra hands and hospice expertise to the resident and their loved ones. We provide specialized care for the terminally ill to allow nursing facilities to focus on their specialties, which include rehabilitation and geriatrics. Our staff and volunteers bring additional help to the facility staff, the patient and the patient's family.
Niagara Hospice services extend to a variety of locations throughout Niagara County.
"The grief support we received from Niagara Hospice after mom passed was amazing. The counselors there really helped our son cope with losing his grandma."
Patient Driven Care
As a resident's needs change, our hospice staff will adjust their services and visits accordingly, regularly communicating with the facility staff. When needed the most, residents and families find support though our Vigil Team Volunteers who provide a comforting presence to patients who are in their final hours of life. Families unable to be at their loved one's bedside take comfort in knowing they are not alone.
[Photo courtesy of Ed Carscallen]
How Care Begins
Care begins with a single phone call and referral from anybody - the resident's physician, a nursing facility or adult home staff member, hospital staff member, a family member or friend. Call 716-439-4417 for a free consultation or for more information to see if hospice is the right choice for your loved one.
Payment for hospice services not provided in the patient's home
Hospice is specialized care for the terminally ill. In most cases, hospice services are covered by Medicare. Niagara Hospice maintains service care contracts with many hospitals, nursing homes, intermediate care facilities and adult care facilities. While the services of Niagara Hospice typically involve no expense to the patient, each contract provider may charge fees associated with room and board and/or services provided for care of the patient's unrelated terminal diagnosis. Each contract and setting is unique. Medicare and Medicaid regulations prevent hospice providers from providing care in non-contracted facilities.
Patients considering hospice care should ask their respective insurance carriers about the impact of accessing hospice either through Medicare and Medicaid, or through private insurance. Each carrier may have limitations of care and/or out-of-pocket expenses. Niagara Hospice personnel make every effort to ensure all patients are fully informed about their options prior to making a decision about hospice care.
