Hospice Care in Happy Valley, OR
Mt. Hood Hospice provides the highest quality care to families coping with life-limiting illness, emphasizing comfort, dignity and choice.
Having a terminal illness or caring for a loved one going through a terminal illness can be a heartbreaking affair. In this time of sadness and adjustment, it is important you surround yourself with a team dedicated to supporting you and your family through this journey. Hospice care in Happy Valley, OR is a great way to take the burden of experiencing a terminal illness off your shoulders and provide the comfort and care you need going forward.
Here at Mt. Hood Hospice, we put the care we provide to families at the center of everything we do. We are one of the oldest established agencies in Oregon. Many of our referrals come from word of mouth because of the excellent care we provide to our patients and families. We value our role as hospice care in the Happy Valley, Oregon community.
Mt. Hood Hospice was founded in 1980 as a small group of volunteers dedicated to offering compassionate care for people with terminal illnesses. From our birth, we have continued to grow and thrive in the name of our patients and their families. In 1983, Mt. Hood Hospice became the first hospice accredited by the Oregon Hospice Association and, in 1987, the first community-based hospice to be Medicare-certified. Despite our record growth, the core of our values remains the same to provide the highest quality hospice care in Happy Valley to families coping with life-limiting illnesses and emphasize comfort, dignity, and choice.
If you are interested in learning more about hospice care in Happy Valley, Oregon our compassionate staff is ready to guide you on your journey.
Why Choose Mt. Hood Hospice?
At Mt. Hood Hospice, we believe the best hospice care begins with comfort and dignity. Here are just a few reasons you should choose Mt. Hood Hospice for your hospice care in Happy Valley, OR.
Nonprofit Hospice Care
The years since 1987 have seen enormous growth in the number of Medicare-certified hospices across the nation. While every hospice care facility operates under the same set of regulations, each hospice care facility’s scope and quality of services can differ widely. We at Mt. Hood Hospice are motivated by the desire to provide quality, compassionate care to people with terminal illnesses and their families. When it comes to hospice care in Happy Valley, Oregon our bottom line is you and your family.
An Independent and Community Based Hospice Care Facility in Happy Valley
One of the greatest reasons we are able to provide advanced hospice care to our patients and their families is the fact that we do not operate under any hospital or other corporate umbrella. Here at Mt. Hood Hospice, we are 100% independent hospice care in Happy Valley, OR, which allows us the independence for effective and efficient services.
The Very Best in Hospice Care Providers
One of the things we are most proud of here at Mt. Hood Hospice is our professional and compassionate staff. On top of that, we utilize a variety of hospice care professionals to help our patients and their families, including:
- The Patient’s Physician – Your doctor and the hospice team will work with you and your family to set up a plan of care that meets your needs.
- The Hospice Medical Director – A physician specifically trained to handle pain and symptom management. The hospice medical director oversees the clinical component of the hospice program. Our hospice medical director will also work with your primary physician.
- Registered Nurses – Our registered nurses have advanced training in hospice care and provide comprehensive nursing services in the patients’ homes. On-call staff is available to the patient 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year.
- Hospice Aides – Our Hospice Aides provide regular personal care in the home in a respectful and professional manner that promotes dignity for the patient. Hospice Aides can also provide light housekeeping in the patient’s area.
- Medical Social Workers – Our medical social workers have advanced education in counseling. They are trained to help individuals and families cope with emotional, social, and financial stresses associated with life-limiting illnesses and impending loss. They work with both the patient and the family and are able to offer extensive resources.
- The Bereavement Counselor – Our bereavement counselor provides specialized grief support to families following the loss of a loved one. Support groups, reading materials, and individual counseling is open to hospice families and community members for as long as needed after their loss. We often continue supporting family members for many years.
- Volunteers – Our volunteers are available and who have completed rigorous training to prepare them to help patients and families.
- Physical, Occupational, Speech and Massage Therapists – Therapists are called in whenever their services would benefit the patient.
- The Hospice Chaplain – Our chaplain supports the patients with unconditional regard for all beliefs and values.
Hospice Care and Medicare Working Together
Here at Mt. Hood Hospice, we believe that receiving compassionate hospice care in Happy Valley, OR should be a right, not a privilege. That is why we work directly with Medicare to provide our services to those who need them most.
To qualify for Medicare coverage, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, you are eligible for Medicare Part A. Second, your physician and the hospice medical director certify that you have a terminal prognosis of fewer than six months if the disease runs its normal course. Finally, you sign a Medicare Election Form stating that you choose hospice care (symptom control and pain management) rather than seeking curative measures.
Once you get Medicare coverage with Mt. Hood Hospice, here are the services you qualify for:
- Physicians
- Nursing
- Social workers
- Chaplain
- Hospice aides/homemakers
- Volunteers
- Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
- Medications related to the terminal prognosis
- Medical equipment necessary for patient comfort and safety
In addition, a hospice nurse and physician are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to give you and your family support and care when you need it.
There are four levels of care provided under the Medicare Hospice Benefit:
- Routine home care (wherever the patient lives)
- General inpatient care for pain and or symptom management that cannot be controlled in the home
- Respite care in a nursing facility (for caregiver relief)
- Continuous home care (for crisis management).
While most Medicaid and private insurance plans cover hospice care in Happy Valley, Oregon, we do not refuse patients regardless of their ability to pay.
If you have questions about your hospice care eligibility, give us a call and we can help!
Our Pet Peace of Mind Program
Recognizing the special importance of the bond between humans and their animal companions, Mt. Hood Hospice’s Pet Peace of Mind Program allows patients to complete their end-of-life journey without worrying about the needs of their pets. Through this program, volunteers help provide pet care, such as walking the dog, changing the cat litter box, or feeding. Through generous donations, we can offer financial assistance for patients who need help caring for their pets while on hospice, which may include food, grooming, and routine vet care. Mt. Hood hospice can also assist with re-homing services if necessary.
Our Veteran Services – We Honor Veterans Program
Serving those who have served us! Through the We Honor Veterans Program, Mt. Hood Hospice has made a commitment to provide the highest quality of hospice care to our veterans. By implementing ongoing veteran-centered education our staff are able to recognize the unique needs and best practices for providing end of life care to veterans. In this way, we can better accompany and guide veterans and their families to a more peaceful ending.
As hospice care professionals in Happy Valley, we focus on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening and grateful acknowledgment. We believe it is never too late to give them a hero’s welcome home and will recognize our veterans with honors they deserve.
If you want to learn more about our hospice care in Happy Valley, OR, we would love to schedule a visit with you today!
Our Patient First Approach to Hospice Care
Direct, compassionate, hands-on care is provided to the patient by the interdisciplinary team who specializes in hospice care and pain and symptom management.
The nurse visits as often as necessary, assessing the patient’s needs and helping provide sufficient information to the caregiver to assure safe, palliative care.
Each person approaches death in their own way. Death is as unique as the individual who is experiencing it. Mt. Hood Hospice honors the patients’ wishes. We feel it is a privilege to be invited into your home at such an important time.
Hospice brings to the end of life journey a holistic philosophy and practice intended to help patients and families accomplish with dignity the outcomes of self-determined life closure, safe and comfortable dying, and effective grieving.
Since our goal is to allow the end of life to take its natural course, hospice care neither hastens nor postpones death.
If you want to know more about hospice care in Happy Valley, OR}, we encourage you to get in contact with us today!
The Hospice Community Services We Provide
Recognizing our collective grief is a way for Mt. Hood Hospice to bring the community together. We offer a variety of events and presentations to honor people who have died and to create a more grief literate society. If you are interested in learning more about our free bereavement services in hospice care in Happy Valley, OR, please visit the links down below.
- Time of Remembering
- Memorial Tree
- Community Grief Education Presentation
The Hospice Support Groups We Provide
Going through a terminal illness and adjusting to the death of a loved one can be too much to bear alone. At Mt. Hood Hospice, we offer a variety of support groups to help you navigate your journey. Groups foster conversation among people with similar experiences and offer education and insight. If you are interested in learning more about our support groups in hospice care in Happy Valley, OR please visit the links down below.
- Facebook Groups
- Living With Grief Support Groups
- Caregivers Together Support Groups
- Grief and Complicated Circumstances Support Groups
Important Facts
- Hospice care is covered 100% by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurances.
- You can choose your hospice! Every Medicare beneficiary with Part A entitlement has a Medicare Hospice Benefit allowing them services from ANY Medicare-certified hospice. This is REGARDLESS OF THEIR ENROLLMENT in any HMO.
- Discrimination is against the law. See our Notice of Nondiscrimination and Limited English Proficiency.
About Mt. Hood Hospice
Mt. Hood Hospice has been providing care and bereavement support to families in Multnomah and Clackamas Counties for 43 years. We are a not-for-profit, free standing, independent, community-based hospice.
Mt. Hood Hospice was the first free-standing hospice in Oregon to be granted Medicare certification in 1987. Since that time we have stayed current in compliance with changing CMS regulations while remaining true to our original ideal: to provide the highest quality care to families coping with life-limiting illness, emphasizing comfort, dignity and choice.
MT. HOOD HOSPICE CELEBRATES 43 YEARS!
We are a not-for-profit Hospice that provides quality care for terminally ill patients and their loved ones,
regardless of their ability to pay.
Living with a Terminal Illness
When a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, the lives of those close to them are impacted as well. It's important to learn as much as you can about the illness. The more information you have, the more in control you will feel. Learn more.
What You Need to Know
Hospice care is covered 100% by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance. You can choose your hospice! Every Medicare beneficiary with Part A entitlement has a Medicare Hospice Benefit allowing them services from ANY Medicare certified hospice. This is regardless of their enrollment in any HMO. We care for people in residential facilities as well as at home. Learn more.
Kind Words From Our Families
Watch this one-minute video testimonial and hear why families choose Mt. Hood Hospice.
Medicare
We are certified by Medicare, which means we get surveyed every 3 to make sure we are following all state and federal hospice regulations.
Support Groups
Grief & Complicated Circumstances Social Hour (Online)
November 21 @ 11:30 am - 12:30 pm PSTGrief & the Holidays (Online)
November 21 @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm PSTLiving with Grief Social Hour (Online)
November 25 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PSTCaregivers Together Social Hour (Online)
November 26 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am PSTGrief Conversations & Social Hour (In Person)
November 27 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am PSTLiving with Grief Social Hour (Online)
December 2 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PSTCaregivers Together Social Hour (Online)
December 3 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am PSTCreative Healing (In Person)
December 4 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am PST
Grief Support Contact
Registration is required prior to meetings. Contact Laura Lirette to register,
503-668-5545
llirette@mthoodhospice.org