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Hospice Care

Your whole life can change with just one phone call when you learn your loved one is facing a life-limiting illness. The family of Shirley Radke shares their story about how hospice helped them put the pieces back together.

Hospice is a concept of caring for a person in the last stages of a terminal illness. Yet hospice isn’t about dying – it’s about living. The goal is to keep the individual comfortable and as alert as possible, maximizing the quality of life for the individual’s remaining days in their chosen environment.

If you or a loved one has a terminal illness and want to know more about the benefits of HRMC’s hospice services, ask your healthcare provider or contact HRMC’s Hospice at 605-353-6520.

What services are available?

Hospice services use a team approach of physicians, nurses, social workers, home health aides, volunteers, chaplains, family members and others. Hospice strives to provide quality medical care, pain and symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support tailored to help ensure a higher quality of life for you or your loved one.

Hospice nurses have expertise in pain control and the management of symptoms that may accompany a terminal illness. Nursing visits are made on a regular schedule and an on-call 24-hour basis as needed.

In addition to quality care, hospice provides, at no additional cost, medications related to your illness, durable medical equipment, such as walkers and wheelchairs, and bereavement counseling. If you live in a nursing home or assisted living center, you may be eligible to take advantage of our hospice services, thus reducing out-of-pocket costs for medication and equipment.

Starting the Conversation

Talking about end-of-life issues can be uncomfortable and it is difficult to know how to raise the subject. It is much better for the conversation to begin at the kitchen table, rather than in the emergency room or ICU. The Conversation Project is a national campaign dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care. For more information about starting the conversation, visit The Conversation Project. For video stories about the Project, click a link below:

ABC News with Diane Sawyer: The Conversation Project

The Conversation Project: An Overview

A Beautiful Death: Paul's Choice Consumer Reports

Who is eligible?

Hospice offers services to those who no longer have treatment options or have discontinued treatment. Examples of life-threatening illnesses include, but are not limited to:

Alzheimer’s
Multiple Sclerosis
Cancer
Congestive Heart Failure
Heart Disease
Kidney Disease
Lung Disease
Parkinson’s Disease

To be eligible for hospice, you must:

be under the care of a local physician (we can assist with referring you, if necessary)
have a caregiver available
live within a 40-mile radius of Huron or live in a nursing home or assisted living center located in Huron.

Hospice is available regardless of age, handicap, race, sex, religion or national origin.

Self-referrals or referrals made by a physician, hospital, clinic, family member, friend or interested agency are accepted. Confidentiality is of utmost importance to us. During the initial call, we can discuss what hospice has to offer without you disclosing a name or any other personal information. Then, an informed decision can be made as to whether hospice is right for you or your loved one.

Who pays for the services?

HRMC’s Hospice is certified by the South Dakota Department of Health for Medicare participation. Medicare and Medicaid are accepted for payment of hospice services. Private insurance policies may cover hospice services.

If you are not covered by one of the above options, hospice services may still be available.

How can I support HRMC’s Hospice?

To help ensure the future of hospice, an online gift to the HRMC Foundation is a perfect way to honor the memory of a loved one. A special Hospice Endowment was established to provide perpetual support for this vital service.

You may also purchase a keepsake ornament or hope chest to memorialize a loved one. You can choose among several pewter ornaments or a memory box for just $20 (plus $2 for shipping). Click here to purchase online.