and Palliative Care

Dear Physicians of Yakima County

As the directors of Yakima County’s oldest
Hospice we wanted to share with you some basic information to help you utilize our services and to correct misinformation about Lower Valley Hospice and Palliative Care.

ABOUT LOWER VALLEY HOSPICE:

• We are a Not-For-Profit agency and have been since our founding in 1978. Hospice is all we do so we do it well.

• We are stand-alone, not affiliated with any other organization or agency.

• We are fully staffed with excellent RN Case Managers who specialize in at-home end-of-life care.

• We provide care in adult family homes, nursing homes, assisted living and other facilities with nurses who specialize in facility care.

• We focus on controlling pain and symptoms and providing instructions to help patients and caregivers manage the disease to increase quality of life

• We provide Crisis Care round-the-clock when patients need it, minimizing the need for hospitalization

• We provide an Interdisciplinary Team to care for patients and caregivers, including RNs, Aides, MSWs and Chaplains. We provide Bereavement Care to families after patients pass.

• We are the only Pediatric Palliative Care program in rural Washington, providing in-home services for children because parents shouldn’t have to choose Hospice for kids to get care.

• We provide in-home Adult Palliative Care for those who don’t qualify for Hospice but who otherwise fall through the cracks.

• We incorporate feedback procedures to respond when something doesn’t go as planned. We plan for excellence and when we fall short we seek to know why so we can do better.

HOW WE HELP PHYSICIANS:

• Consultation as to whether or not a patient qualifies under the Conditions of Participation for each specific diagnosis for Hospice, Adult Palliative Care and Pediatric Palliative Care.

• In-home care assures your patients spend their final days where they choose to be, surrounded by family.

• 24/7 staffing so you know your patients receive care when they need it year-round.

• Anytime admitting within 24 hours of your orders to begin Hospice care, including weekends and after-hours.

• Physician-billing assistance to ensure that you can still bill for visits to your patients on our service. You can continue to follow your patients or refer them to our Medical Director.

• In-service training and continuing education for you and your staff at your convenience.

• Website information for you and for your patients: www.lowervalleyhospice.org.

Rev. Ron Jetter, Executive Director

Debra Roe-Johnson, RN-CHPN, Clinical Director