Hospice Bridge Program
Many Visiting Nurse Associations that have both traditional home care and hospice programs also provide ‘bridge’ programs. Frequently, hospice nurses take on ‘bridge’ patients who are still seeking active treatment for life-threatening illnesses, or who are not emotionally ready to consider hospice. If the patient continues to decline instead of recovering or rehabilitating, a conversation can take place to ease the transition from home care to hospice. Keeping the same nurse is often comforting to the patient and family. Transitioning to hospice from a bridge program does not mean giving up. The treatment focus changes from cure to care and symptom management, and to providing the best quality of life possible.
| All Care VNA & Hospice | Lynn, MA | Intake: (781) 598-7066 |
| Care Central VNA & Hospice | Gardner, MA | Intake: (978) 632-1230 |
| Community Nurse Home Care, Inc. | Fairhaven, MA | Intake: (508) 992-6278 |
| Farmington Valley VNA, Inc. | Simsbury, CT | Intake: (860) 651-3539 |
| Middlesex-East Visiting Nurse Hospice | Woburn, MA | Intake: (781) 756-2488 |
| Nashoba Nursing Service & Hospice | Shirley, MA | Intake: (800) 698-3307 |
| Natick Walpole VNA | Walpole, MA | Intake: (508) 668-1066 |
| RVNAhealth | Ridgefield, CT | Intake: (203) 438-5555 |
| Visiting Nurse & Community Care | Arlington, MA | Intake: (781) 396-2633 |
| Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County | Wilton, CT | Intake: (203) 762-8958 |
| Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Litchfield County | Winsted, CT | Intake: (860) 379-8561 |
| Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice | Middletown, RI | Intake: (401) 293-3153 |
| VNA Community Healthcare & Hospice | Guilford, CT | Intake: (203) 458-4275 |
| VNA of Cape Cod, Inc. | South Dennis, MA | Intake: (508) 957-7476 |
Hospice Pediatric Program
| Care Central VNA & Hospice | Gardner, MA | Intake: (978) 632-1230 |
| Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Litchfield County | Winsted, CT | Intake: (860) 379-8561 |
Hospice Veterans Program
Many VNANE hospices offer Veterans Programs that are national initiatives developed by NHPCO in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs. These programs are designed to guide hospice professionals in meeting the unique needs of dying veterans. Emotional, physical and psychological burdens carried by our veterans can complicate the end of life journey. For combat veterans this is particularly true. A compassionate approach offering a listening ear and words of thanks can help in part to heal the wounds they carry and comfort them to a peaceful death.
The various programs honor each veteran and their families acknowledging “military service given to the United States of America to preserve the universal hope of freedom and liberty for all.”
| Care Central VNA & Hospice | Gardner, MA | Intake: (978) 632-1230 |
| HopeHealth Community VNA | Attleboro, MA | Intake: (401) 415-4200 |
| Norwell VNA & Hospice | Norwell, MA | Intake: (781} 659-2342 |
| Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Litchfield County | Winsted, CT | Intake: (860) 379-8561 |
| Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice | Middletown, RI | Intake: (401) 293-3153 |
| VNA of Cape Cod, Inc. | South Dennis, MA | Intake: (508) 957-7476 |
Pediatric Palliative Program
What is Palliative Care?
Hospice care, sometimes referred to as palliative care, focuses on treating a person’s symptoms to increase the quality of life when the disease no longer responds to treatment to cure the illness. Palliative care neither speeds up nor slows down death, but offers relief from pain and other symptoms and support for the family at the end of their loved one’s life. To palliate means to make comfortable by treating a person’s symptoms from an illness. The goals of palliative care are to improve the quality of a seriously ill person’s life and to support that person and their family during and after treatment. Many hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and visiting nurse agencies provide palliative care.
Hospice care is palliative care focused on relieving symptoms and supporting patients with a life expectancy of months not years. However, palliative care may be given at any time during a person’s illness, from diagnosis on. Many hospices offer palliative care transition programs for persons with life-limiting illnesses while continuing to seek curative treatment. Should curative treatment be ineffective, the patient may choose to transition to hospice.
| Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Litchfield County | Winsted, CT | Intake: (860) 379-8561 |
| VNA of Cape Cod, Inc. | South Dennis, MA | Intake: (508) 957-7476 |
