Compassionate Hospice Care | Ohio Living Bethany Hospice

By combining hospice care with our existing services, Ohio Living Bethany Hospice provides a seamless continuum of compassionate support, serving individuals and families during life's most challenging moments. Our expert caregivers and clinical professionals strive to provide peace of mind through counseling, education, and emotional support - giving patients control over their care. For those living at Bethany Village, as well as throughout Greene and Montgomery counties, Ohio Living Bethany Hospice develops a holistic care plan that includes pain management, symptom control and bereavement support.

Our hospice team tailors each care plan to both the patient and their family. Your loved one can choose to keep seeing their primary care physician, and our team will work with them to monitor any changes.

Our team is here to lend a helping helping hand and a listening ear. We offer bereavement support to help loved ones through their journey of grief and the emotions accompanying loss.

Does choosing hospice mean I'm giving up hope?: Not at all! Actually, hospice helps to continue hope: the hope of a quality of life, the hope of peace, the hope of serenity. At Ohio Living Bethany Hospice, our goal is never to take away someone’s hope of another option to come. If there is something new to trial, in hopes of improving health status and changing the decline of the disease, we support that, and hospice can be revoked.
Is hospice only for cancer patients?: It is not. Hospice was first intended and used for cancer patients, but it is now available to any person with a limited life expectancy, with any disease process. This may be cardiac, lung disease, dementia, any disease that is progressing with no “cure” available.
Can I keep my primary care physician?: Yes! Hospice care covers the eligible disease process and its treatment. Being able to continue to see your primary care physician is allowed and continues to be covered by Medicare with your choice iof physician. The hospice team will stay in touch with your physician in order to report changes in your condition.
Does hospice require a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order?: Not with Ohio Living Bethany Hospice.Some other providers may mandate this, but we choose to support patients as they work through this difficult time, and help them and families understand the process and ramifications of “full code” as the disease progresses.
Do hospice patients have to discontinue all medication?: They do not. Ohio Living Bethany Hospice standard is to review the medications and monitor their benefit. We only discontinue medications as they become non-beneficial, or when the client is declining or unable to take the medication because of inability to swallow.

Nicole

Family Member

It is never easy to lose a loved one. I could not have asked for a better group of people to have helped my family and I through this difficult time. Every time I called for someone to come check on my grandma or even just for advice, they were always there right away to talk to me and help me through it. After my grandma’s passing, they still called to check on me every week. The time, loyalty, and effort this company put into helping means more then words. Thank you guys!

Michael

Family Member

Totally wonderful experience. Karen at Ohio Living could not have been better. Our father, who has been home bound for a couple years, had a serious setback. He became unresponsive, and within an hour or two of calling, their Hospice was at our home, insuring he would be comfortable and pain free. Dawn bent over backwards to make sure all our dad's needs, as well as our needs were covered. Very grateful for Ohio Living.

Ensuring inclusive holiday gatherings

Family comes in all shapes and sizes, and whether you’re hosting or attending a family gathering, it’s important to prioritize inclusion so everyone feels welcome. A phrase used in our “I’m Still Here” approach to memory care encourages that “there is no one right way to have a family visit.”

Here are some best practices to keep in mind this holiday season when relating to family members or friends who may be living with dementia.

Prepare for the visit: As you prepare for the visit, choose to focus on the positive, and try not to bring the day’s baggage or holiday stresses along with you. To spark conversation, consider bringing along tangible items you can share and discuss. If your loved one has trouble communicating verbally (or is unable to do so), do something task oriented.

With other family members and friends, be sure to explain successful communication techniques and ask everyone to introduce themselves. Do not ignore the disease, and explain Alzheimer’s to children, so they can support a welcoming environment. Lastly, if someone offers to help, say “yes” – many hands make light work.

Keep stimulus to a minimum and consider doing an activity during your visit: Small, intimate gatherings are helpful for people living with dementia. As best you can, try to minimize loud music and unfamiliar loud noises (video games, children’s toys) to avoid confusion, distraction or over stimulus. Giving your loved one something to hold and/or a choice of an activity can also be an engaging way to connect with them during a visit. Be sure to demonstrate when providing activity instructions and don’t worry about doing it “correctly.”

Brush up on helpful communication techniques: Above all, treat your loved one with dignity and respect. Speak slowly and distinctly, approaching from the front and making steady eye contact. Ask one question at a time and provide ample time for them to process the information. Try not to “test” by asking things like “Do you remember?” Non-verbal communication including smiles and hugs are also effective and meaningful elements to incorporate.

When Hospice is Right for You

Ohio Living's hospice care teams are here to support and provide you with the highest quality of care. Because illness affects much more than physical health alone, care teams are made up of people with different kinds of training and skills to provide support that addresses physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs for you and your family.

Ohio Living Bethany Hospice delivers care in:

- Your own home
- The home of a family member
- A retirement or assisted living apartment
- A nursing facility
- A hospice center

Our team specializes in geriatric care and provides you and your loved ones with:

- Pain management
- Symptom control
- Counseling
- Education
- Bereavement support
- Spiritual support

Our hospice team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Ohio Living Bethany Hospice ensures that excellent care at the end of life is available for our nation’s veterans and that support is available for their families.

These men and women often carry experiences from their military service that present unique challenges at the end of life, so our teams are on a mission to serve those who have served us. To help meet the distinctive needs of America’s veterans, Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice teams have been trained and certified through the We Honor Veterans Program.

Understanding how veterans view their service, whether it is positive or negative, has implications for how they view their disease, especially if it is related to their service. We feel honored to guide veterans through their life stories toward a more peaceful ending, comforting those who suffer from physical or psychological trauma.

Make It Happen®

Make it Happen^® is a program that brings special moments of joy and meaning to those nearing the end of their lives by fulfilling their life-enhancing wishes. Each moment is unique and personal — it can be larger than life, like a hot air balloon ride, or a simple wish for family members to come together one last time.

Make It Happen^® moments have included:

- Attending a grandchild's wedding
- Shopping trips
- Concerts
- Visiting meaningful locations
- Spa days with loved ones

Each Make it Happen^®moment creates lasting memories for families of those served by Ohio Living Bethany Hospice.

Become a Volunteer

Hospice is a special kind of caring that is person and family centered and seeks to provide support and comfort to those facing a life limiting illness. Volunteers play a large role in this effort by sharing their skills and interests in a manner that enriches the quality of life for those they serve.

The federal government also recognizes the importance of volunteers in the delivery of hospice services by requiring that Medicare-approved hospices utilize volunteers from their community. Nationally, about 100,000 people serve as hospice volunteers and give millions of hours of their time to serve terminally ill patients and their families.

How you can help:
Hospice volunteers work with patients and families in a variety of ways, such as:

Companionship
Respite visits
Spiritual support
Bereavement support
Errands and light housekeeping

Volunteers can also provide clerical support, such as:

Filing
Photocopying
Assembling information packets
Assisting with mailings
Making telephone calls

Training and Screening

All Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice volunteers are considered employees of the organization and will have a volunteer interview, a drug test, and a complete criminal background check and orientation prior to beginning a volunteer assignment.

The contributions of volunteers are essential to the important work provided by hospice. The impact that you can have on the lives of others is immeasurable! For more information, call the Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice Volunteer Coordinator at your local office: