VITAS—HELPING TO MANAGE LIFE-LIMITING ILLNESSES

VITAS provides a special form of care for people during the last months of life. When medical treatments cannot cure a disease, VITAS’ interdisciplinary team of hospice professionals can do a great deal to control pain, reduce anxiety and provide medical, spiritual and emotional comfort to patients and their families.

As the nation’s leading provider of hospice care, VITAS has been serving patients since 1978. Our name comes from the Latin word for lives. Our goal is to do everything we can to improve the quality of life for our patients and their loved ones.

• We offer people choices.
• We work to ease the discomfort, the fears and the high expense that can accompany incurable illness.
• We help preserve dignity.
  

WHO DOES VITAS SERVE… AND HOW?

We provide care for adult and pediatric patients with a wide range of life-limiting illnesses, including but not limited to cancer; heart disease; stroke; lung, liver and kidney disease; multiple sclerosis; ALS; Alzheimer’s and AIDS.
VITAS provides Intensive Palliative Care®—the aggressive treatment of physical and emotional pain and symptoms. Palliative care is an active treatment plan, but is not intended to cure a patient’s underlying disease. All VITAS palliative treatments focus on enhancing a patient’s comfort and overall quality of life.

READY TO HELP: VITAS IS ON CALL, AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY,
7 DAYS A WEEK

The VITAS team is sensitive and responsive to individual patient and family needs.

• VITAS nurses are skilled in assessing and managing pain; they are trained caregivers who provide hands-on care.
• Our social workers are available as friendly and skilled listeners to help provide emotional support and to help with financial issues and planning.
• The VITAS physician works with the patient’s physician and is available for pain and symptom management consultation as well as to make house calls, as needed.
• A home health aide is available to help with personal care, such as bathing or dental and mouth care, and also can help with light cleaning, light laundry and occasional shopping.
• The VITAS chaplain works with the family’s clergy, offering spiritual support.
• Specially trained the VITAS way, volunteers are an important element of the hospice team, available to spend time when they are needed most.
• VITAS bereavement specialists provide grief and loss counseling, memorial services and other support for family and loved ones.

SERVICES DESIGNED TO HELP PATIENTS STAY AT HOME… COORDINATED WITH THEIR PHYSICIAN

• Drugs/Equipment/Supplies
  VITAS covers all prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, medical equipment and supplies required to treat the patient’s life-limiting illness.
• Hospice Care Outside the Home
  VITAS has established partnerships and is pleased to provide hospice care to residents of Long Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) and Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs).
• Continuous Care
  If, at some point, a patient needs more constant care, VITAS can provide shifts of hospice staff for a brief period to help the patient through this demanding time at home, rather than transferring the patient to a hospital.
• Hospital or Other Inpatient Care
  If a patient needs care beyond what can be provided at home, VITAS has special arrangements with local hospitals and other facilities where patients may receive necessary and appropriate care and return home as soon as possible.

WHO PAYS FOR VITAS SERVICES?

VITAS accepts Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance and other forms of reimbursement for its services.

• Medicare/Medicaid:

  Medicare and most state Medicaid programs offer coverage of VITAS services. Since VITAS accepts Medicare and Medicaid as 100% coverage for its hospice services, there are no out-of-pocket expenses to patients or their loved ones for VITAS care.
  
  For care unrelated to a patient’s primary diagnosis, Medicare and Medicaid will continue to provide their normal benefits.
  
  

• Private Insurance:

  Since each insurance company has its own policies, VITAS can contact the patient’s insurer to ask about the coverage provided for hospice care.

When someone becomes seriously ill, it can be difficult to know what type of care is best...or where to turn for help.