Home Health & Hospice Care Resources

Simply put, an advance directive is a written document made while you are competent that states your choices of health care — such as alternate forms of treatment or setting limits on treatment — and/or the name of someone to make those choices in the event that you lose the ability to express your choices.

Through an Advance Directive, such as a Living Will or durable power of attorney for health care, you can make legally binding decisions about future care should you become incapacitated or cannot speak for yourself.

• At MultiCare, we recommend this Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care document which designates another person to make health care decisions on your behalf in the event you lose decision-making ability.
• Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms are appropriate for individuals with a serious illness or frailty near the end-of-life. Ask your provider if this is appropriate for you. Additional information about POLST is available in English or Spanish.
• A living will is a document in which you can stipulate whether you want life-sustaining treatment in the event you become unable to make your own decisions.

To ensure your health care delivery preferences are followed, it is important to plan in advance, to talk to people close to you about your wishes and to consider executing an Advance Directive.

We do not require patients to have advance directives in order for them to receive home health or hospice care, but we strongly encourage it. An advance directive:

• Is a voluntary, legal way to write down your advance care planning decisions.
• Helps you have a voice in your care.
• Helps others make health care decisions for you based on your wishes if you cannot speak for yourself.

You should share your advance directive with people who matter to you—like your health care agent and loved ones—and your health care providers, clinic, and hospital.

Questions often arise when an individual is considering these types of decisions. If you decide to become a donor, your decision should be recorded with the proper agency or expressed to the Organ Donation Association at 800-422-3310. In Washington State, organ donor designation can be indicated on your driver’s license.

By state and federal law, we must inform patients of the option of creating an Advance Directive and distribute Advance Directive material to each patient before care is provided. If a patient is incapacitated when care begins, we must ensure information is provided once he/she is no longer incapacitated.

We can help you and your family access the information and resources that you need to set up an Advance Directive, as well as provide referrals to services that can help you create other long-term planning documents, such as wills.

The state of Washington operates a 24-hour hotline for you to use if you have any concerns or wish to register a complaint concerning the implementation of the Advance Directive requirements. This toll-free number is 800-633-6828.

Our counselors and volunteers, trained in assisting with issues of grief, are available to help you cope with and address concerns surrounding your loss. If you need additional support through ongoing therapy, we can provide counseling resources and referrals to local counselors specializing in grief, loss, and trauma. We are available by telephone during our business hours, Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.

We offer ongoing opportunities to attend grief support groups. We hold our eight-week educational support groups in various locations in our service area. Groups fill up quickly, and we do require registration ahead of time to attend.

View our flyer for information and schedules for upcoming grief support groups.

If you are in crisis, call 911 or your local crisis line listed below:

• Nationwide Suicide Prevention: 988 (24 hours)
• King County: 1-866-427-4747 (24 hours)
• Pierce County: 1-800-576-7764 (24 hours)

Spring Remembrance Celebration: Each year we offer an opportunity to remember those who have died in a community of others who are in grief. The event is designed to create a time for reflection, to tell stories, and to participate in a community ritual.

Grief During the Holidays: Prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, this self-care seminar provides practical information and ideas about how to care for yourself and your family during the holidays and at other times of meaning and remembrance as you navigate your grief. The event also offers ideas for rituals and memorials for healing.

The majority of our outreach is educational in nature. Over the course of the first year after your loss, we can send quarterly mailings that include general information about grief and the grieving process, along with suggestions for coping with grief. Further literature and resources may be sent upon request.

In an occupational setting, if there is a need for grief and loss education or a staff bereavement support session, our staff is available for these services, as well.

If you are looking for grief support outside of our service area or need more than we are able to offer, we will gladly assist you in getting connected with community providers near you.

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.

Please remember that every donation is appreciated, no matter the amount because donations come from the heart, and no one can put a monetary value on that!

Donate Online