What is Hospice?

Hospice is a philosophy of care, not a place.  Hospice provides care for both the patient and the family well before and after the time of death.  It is a way of caring that treats the whole person - physical, social, emotional and spiritual - and recognizes managing a life-limiting illness and dying as normal parts of living.  Hospice is about care, not cure, and thus focuses on the quality of remaining life.

Exempla Lutheran Hospice at Collier Hospice Center (ELH/CHC) provides an array of end-of-life programs and services, created to meet the needs of the terminally ill and those who love them. The care we provide at the end of a patient's life journey is rooted in our core philosophies: 

• Each person is worthy of our best care. 
• Our patients and their families are held in the highest esteem. 
• We are honored to meet the needs of those we serve.

"You matter because you are you. You matter to the very last moment of your life, and we will do all that we can not only to help you to die peacefully, but to live until you die."  -- Dame Cicely Saunders, OM, St. Christopher's Hospice, London, England, 1967

Why Choose Exempla Lutheran Hospice?

ELH/CHC offers: 

• A hospital-based program, giving you immediate access to the quality services of all Exempla Healthcare facilities 
• A dedicated team of experienced, skilled professionals and volunteers, working together to provide compassionate care to patients and their families 
• Rapid response to current patient and family needs and questions 
• Caring staff available every day to provide evaluation and admission services for new patients 
• Bereavement support for family members for 13 months after the death of their loved one

Quality matters at ELH/CHC. We are: 

•  A department of Exempla Lutheran Medical Center, a full-service community hospital, recognized repeatedly as one of the country's Top 100 Hospitals 
• Licensed by the State of Colorado 
• Certified by Medicare 
• Accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, which sets the standards by which health care quality is measured in the U.S. and around the world.

Hospice Care Team

Both Home Hospice Care and Inpatient Care are provided by an Interdisciplinary Care Team that supports the medical/physical, emotional, psycho-social and spiritual needs of both patient and family.

Depending on the location of care and the patient/family's needs, Care Team members can include a physician, physician assistant, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, social worker, chaplain, certified nurse aide, and volunteer.

Communication is key to providing quality services.  Care Team members keep the patient and family involved in the patient care plan, and meet weekly to discuss all perspectives on the care plan.