Good Shepherd Hospice provides four levels of care to serve the changing needs of patients and families during their participation in the Good Shepherd Hospice program. They include:

Level I - General Hospice Care
Basic hospice care, as defined by the plan of treatment, is provided in the home, nursing home or assisted living facility (ALF) for the patient's hospice diagnosis. This level of care includes core services provided by a team of Good Shepherd Hospice health care professionals: nursing care, home health aide services, chaplain services, volunteer services and a full range of counseling, grief and social work services. Hospice Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance benefits can provide additional services.

Level II - Continuous Care
As a part of Hospice Medicare, Medicaid and some insurance benefits, Continuous Care is a service made available for short-term, periodic, supplemental care, for example, when symptoms are out of control. The purpose of the service is to keep patients in their normal residences, prevent hospitalization and provide caregiver education. Although we refer to this service as continuous care, the support can range from a minimum of eight hours up to 24 hours a day. Based on the patient's needs, the care is predominately given by a nurse but may also include care by a home health aide.

Level III - Respite Care
Respite care is a benefit for the caregiver when there is a need for rest or an interim period to manage other business. This is a period of up to five days where someone else will take care of the patient’s needs. This care is usually given in the nursing home setting.

Level IV - Inpatient Care
Inpatient care is provided during a medical crisis, to control or manage symptoms that cannot be dealt with in another setting. This level of care requires inpatient admission to a Good Shepherd Hospice House or a contracted skilled care facility. The Good Shepherd Hospice team of health care professionals continues to coordinate patient care to ensure that the needs of the patient and family are being met.