Frequently Asked
Questions About Hospice
What is Horizon
Hospice?
Horizon Hospice is a
not-for-profit, community-based organization. Its
mission is to provide care for the dying and preserve dignity at the end of life.
Each year, hundreds of patients benefit from the comprehensive care,
expertise and compassion of Horizon’s professional medical staff and
trained volunteers.
Horizon Hospice was founded
as a non-profit organization by Ada
Addington in 1978, after she had read about the work of Dame
Cicely Saunders, founder of the world’s first modern hospice
– St. Christopher’s Hospice near London.
Mrs. Addington resolved to provide the same kind of all-encompassing care for dying
patients in Chicago. She
gathered a core group – a clergyman, a lawyer and a physician -- and
created an organization that provided volunteer assistance to terminally
ill patients on
Chicago’s North Side.
Horizon Hospice now employs a large professional staff to provide
comprehensive services. Interdisciplinary home-care teams of doctors,
registered nurses, social workers, home health aides, chaplains,
volunteers and bereavement counselors address the medical, practical and
psychosocial needs of patients and families.
What
area does Horizon Hospice serve?
The primary
service area of Horizon Hospice is the City of
Chicago and nearby suburban
communities. However, residents
throughout Cook County are eligible.
Who is eligible
for Horizon
Hospice care?
Horizon Hospice serves people of
any age, ethnic or religious background, financial situation or diagnosis.
The only requirements are that a patient is hospice-appropriate, as determined by
the primary physician, and that the patient and family agree to services.
How is hospice
paid for?
Most insurance,
Medicare and Medicaid pay hospice benefits directly to Horizon Hospice for
patient care. Horizon
Hospice does not refuse
patients with limited financial resources – instead, ongoing fundraising provides the
money needed to supplement or replace insurance or government payments.
Do I
need to have a family member at home full-time to care for me?
No.
Horizon Hospice will create a care plan that addresses your needs if you live alone
and need frequent visits from nursing aides or volunteers.
What are the
hours of operation?
Horizon Hospice maintains a
24-hours a day, seven days a week telephone line at 312-733-8900 to assist patients,
caregivers and family members at any time. For
questions about administrative matters such as billing, scheduling or general
information, staff members can be reached from 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday at
312-733-2233.
What are the qualifications of Horizon Hospice’s medical director?
Michael C. Marschke,
MD, is medical director of Horizon Hospice, overseeing medical
treatment of all patients. Dr. Marschke has been a hospice physician for
11 years. A partner at Primary Care Medical Associates, he is on staff at
St. Joseph and Columbus Hospitals, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Dr.
Marschke also serves as a clinical instructor of medicine at Northwestern
University's Feinberg School of Medicine. A graduate of the
University of Chicago's medical school, he is board-certified in
Internal Medicine and in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
How
do I enroll with Horizon Hospice?
Once the admissions department
receives a referral from a patient, family member or doctor,
an admissions nurse will
visit you to explain the
details of hospice care and lead you through the formalities
of enrolling. Call 312.733.8900 to enroll.
If you have questions about
hospice care in general, the National Hospice and
Palliative Organization offers excellent information on their website at
www.nhpco.org.
For more information,
click on “Contact Us” and follow the instructions.
