Frequently Asked Questions
wHAT IS hoSPICE?
Hospice is a medical provider to individuals at the end of life. Hospice Care focuses on the quality of life for people and their caregivers who are experiencing an advanced, life-limiting illness. Hospice care provides compassionate care for people in the last phases of incurable disease so that they may live as fully and comfortably as possible. This care treats the person and symptoms of the disease, rather than treating the disease itself. Hospice is not a location or place, but a continuum of care much like a general practitioner. Hospice provides comfort care to individuals with a prognosis of 6 months or less, by providing a whole-person approach to care with the support of Doctors, Nurses, LPN’s, Social Workers, Chaplins, and more. The Hospice provider in the Capital Region is The Community Hospice.
Who: Individuals with a terminal or severe illness and prognosis of 6 months or less
What: Medical care for symptom relief including comfort care, bedside care, and psychosocial care
How: Care is provided by a medical team including doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, home health aides, CNAs, community members, volunteers, friends, and family
Where: In almost any setting including a home, nursing home, assisted living facility, or inpatient hospital
Cost: Hospice care is covered under Medicare, Medicaid, most private insurance plans, HMOs, and other managed care organizations
wHAT IS A COMFORT HOME?
Comfort Homes or Comfort Care Homes are available in a community home-like environment with a holistic approach that focuses on patient and family-centered care. Care is provided by community members and few staff with the support of the local Hospice program. Caregivers (in the form of volunteers and staff) act as surrogate family members and Hospice staff to provide 24/7 care.
Who: Individuals with a terminal diagnosis, a prognosis of 3 months or less, on Hospice care, has a DNR, and is unable to live safely alone due to a caregiver breakdown or other outstanding need. Individuals admitted into these Homes are those in the community with the fewest options & the most need.
What: Bedside comfort care for symptom relief and management in addition to psychosocial care for patients and their loved ones
How: Care is provided by a mix of community members, volunteers, and health care staff 24/7 under a non-profit title, with the help of medical care (medications, changes in condition) provided by Hospice
Cost: Every Comfort Home has a different policy, some may have sliding scale fees. However, majority of these Homes provide care at no cost to a patient or their loved ones to reside in a comfort home, but there may be stipulations on length of stay.
hOW DO I GET A LOVED ONE INTO YOUR HOME?
Talk with your Hospice care team! This could be a Doctor, Nurse, Social Worker, or Chaplin! We work closely with The Community Hospice and they are aware of what requirments/documenation is needed. Just simply ask them to send a referral to our Home. Note: We welcome phone calls with questions, however referrals to be put on our waitlist MUST come from Hospice.
What requirements do you need to be a resident?
First and foremost, individuals eligible to come to our Home MUST be on Community Hospice services. Because we are not a medical facility, we must have a medical provider for a resident. Admission to our Home is based on need and options for each individual. Further requirements include (more information here):
Diagnosis of terminal illness and a prognosis of 3 months or less
Do not resuscitate order (DNR); no life sustaining measures to be done
No extraordinary care needs; we must be able to provide safe & comfortable care that can be managed by volunteers
We are unable to provide IV therapy, feeding tubes, or manage difficult behaviors
What services are included for residents at your Home?
Our Home provides bedside care in a homelike environment, with individual bedrooms, bathrooms, a laundry room, kitchen, living room, and spacious backyard. In addition to services provided by the Community Hospice, trained volunteers and staff provide 24/7 personal bedside care to residents. Volunteers also complete basic everyday tasks such as laundry, meal preparation, and cleaning, all while becoming “surrogate families” and providing emotional support to residents and their loved ones.
How many people do you serve?
Our Home is a two-bed Comfort Home, serving two individuals at a time. Providing care for two residents at time allows our volunteers and staff to provide attentive, individualized, personal care to residents and their loved ones in an intimate setting. Since opening our doors in 2006, we have served over 240 individuals in need at the end of life.
How much does it cost?
Our Home provides care to individuals at the end of life, free of charge! This care includes 24/7 bedside care, meals, cleaning/laundry, and emotional support for our residents and their families. We encourage donations, of any amount and form, to help us continue our mission of serving those at the end of life as a non-profit run 100% on donations & grants. To learn more about our donation needs, head here.
What is your visitation policy?
Unlike traditional medical institutions, our unique and intimate environment allows visitation! We do not have a strict time frame for when visitors can enter our Home. That means visitors are welcome any day, at any time! We do ask, however, that visitors respect all of our residents and volunteers when visiting and keep schedules in mind (such as sleeping at nighttime).
Where are you located?
The Joan Nicole Prince Home is located at 22 Glenview Drive Scotia, NY 12302. Our Home is in a residential neighborhood and looks like a regular house. We are located on the hill at the corner of Glenview Drive & Slatestone, but the front of our Home is facing Slatestone.
How do I donate?
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit run 100% on donations, we are always welcoming donations to support our mission and residents! Donations change the lives of the 12-18 residents served each year, along with their families and loved ones. There are several ways to donate, including monetary donations (online, in-person, via mail, or phone), in-kind donations, memorial donations, planned giving, and supporting our fundraisers (such as our mediation garden fundraiser and merch fundraiser) learn more about donating here. Don’t forget, you can also donate your time and resources by becoming a volunteer or board member! The bottom line… any contribution to our Home makes a difference!
What volunteer help do you need?
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Joan Nicole Prince Home! Our volunteers provide 24/7 bedside care to our residents, help with cooking, cleaning, yard work, seasonal support (snowplowing, mowing), fundraising, outreach, maintenance, office work, oversight, and so much more! Learn more about how you can donate your time, here. The bottom line is, we are welcoming of any talent, skill, and resource our community members are willing to bring to our Home!