Respectful, compassionate end-of-life care
When the time for curative treatment is over, MultiCare Hospice services are there to help you live as fully and comfortably as possible, with dignity and respect. We also support your family, friends and caregivers by answering questions, discussing concerns and offering comfort.
What is hospice?
Hospice is for individuals who are entering the last phases of any terminal illness, including cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s and related dementia illnesses, heart failure, ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, COPD, end-stage diabetes, Parkinson’s and renal failure.
Hospice care is not designed for curative treatment for your illness, but rather to provide care and support to help you manage your pain and other symptoms. The goals of hospice are to meet your comfort (physical, mental, spiritual and emotional) needs and keep you safe as possible. We are here to empower you to live out your life in the way that you choose.
How we help
Hospice care is provided wherever you are — at home, an assisted living facility, nursing home or hospital. In addition to our program’s extensive services, we can help you locate additional resources and assist you with advanced directives.
Services we provide include:
- Assistance with personal care, such as bathing and grooming
- Bereavement support for loved ones
- Comfort therapies (offerings vary by location)
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Medical equipment, supplies and medications, as needed for comfort
- Pain and symptom management
- Physical, occupational and speech therapy
- Volunteers who can provide respite to caregivers or provide additional comfort and companionship to patients
MultiCare Hospice does not provide round-the-clock care, but can offer resources to help you access that care if needed.
Who can receive hospice care?
To be eligible for hospice services, you must meet the following criteria:
- Patient is referred to hospice by family, self or caregiver with physician agreement
- Patient resides in the designated service area
- Patient has a primary caregiver (someone other than hospice staff)
- Patient has life expectancy of six months or less, if the disease runs its usual course
- Patient is no longer pursuing curative treatments
Resources
- The National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization
- Advance Directive Concerns: To contact the State of Washington’s 24-hour hotline regarding concerns or registering complaints concerning implementation of the advanced directive requirements, please dial 800-633-6828.
- MultiCare Hospice and Palliative Care Services Library: We have an array of books and videos about many different topics related to hospice. These materials can be checked out by patients, family members of our patients and volunteers. For more information, call 253-301-6400 or toll-free 888-516-4504.
Ways to get involved
The services and care that we provide our hospice patients and their families is made possible by the support of our community. There are several ways that you can help us with the important work that we do.
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Volunteer
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Volunteers are needed for various tasks, from sitting with patients to running errands to assisting with office work to homemaking.
We provide comprehensive training so that our volunteers have the knowledge and skills to safely and compassionately support our patients and their caregivers and/or family members. Also, volunteers come together each month to learn new skills, share their experiences and support one another.
Ready to be a hospice volunteer? Apply today in the Puget Sound region or Yakima.
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Make a donation
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Charitable contributions and memorial gifts help us train and support our highly skilled staff and volunteers who care for each hospice family during this difficult time. Donations also enable us to assist those who do not have insurance and who would otherwise be unable to afford care. Every donation is appreciated, no matter the amount.
Charitable contributions and memorial gifts can be made online, or by mailing a check to:
MultiCare Foundations
P.O. Box 5296
Tacoma, WA 98415-0296*Please include the name of the tribute and/or designate “MultiCare Hospice” on your check memo line.
Residents of the Yakima community can learn more about giving opportunities to Compass Care through the Memorial Foundation.
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Be an advocate
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You can help by telling a friend about hospice, inviting hospice to speak at your religious or social group, or having a group “adopt” hospice as a special support project. We would love to talk with you. Please call our Puget Sound location at 253-301-6400 or 888-516-4504.
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Join our team
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We seek employees who adhere to high standards of patient care and can handle stress while remaining a productive and supportive team member.
A distinctive characteristic of hospice is its interdisciplinary approach to delivery of care. Each team member — nurse, social worker, home health aide, spiritual counselor, bereavement counselor, volunteer coordinator, massage therapist and office staff — possesses unique skills.
Visit our careers website to view current job openings.