FAQ's
How can we help?
I am concerned about my parent(s) being at home alone.
Many adult children face the reality that their parent or parents are not able to function as well at home as they once were. There are a variety of situations that may cause this. Perhaps Mom has broken a hip and can no longer fix dinner, clean or take Dad to doctor appointments. Our In-Home Support caregivers can fill in while Mom recovers. She may also need rehabilitative therapies to get her back on her feet. Our Home Health Care services may be just the answer to her needs. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
I will be having surgery and may need help at home.
If you are having surgery you may very well need assistance afterwards. Depending on the kind of surgery, you may need Home Health Care services to assist in your healing. You may need home nursing care to help with wound care or IV or rehabilitative therapy to help you get back on your feet. Our Home Health Care services can meet those kinds of medical needs for you in the comfort of home.
Additionally, while you are healing, you may need extra assistance with things such as cooking, housekeeping, and shopping. Our In-Home Support caregivers can provide this kind of non-medical care and support until you are able to do them yourself. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
My loved one is coming home from the hospital or nursing home and may need help.
It can be overwhelming to have a spouse or parent come home from the hospital or nursing home still needing a lot of care, especially if your loved one lives alone or you are not able to provide the care yourself. Your loved one may need help with cooking, housekeeping or personal care, such as dressing and bathing. Our In-Home Support caregivers can provide this kind of help and more, whether it is for a few hours a day or around the clock.
Depending on the situation, your loved one may also need medical care at home to continue the healing process. Our Home Health Care professionals provide medical care in the comfort of your home. Often the physician or social worker will talk to you about home health needs and arrange for these services upon discharge. However, you may also contact us directly and we will talk with your physician to determine what services may be appropriate. If you think home health care would be helpful be sure to ask the doctor or contact us to learn more or make arrangements. Also, know that you have a choice in home health care agencies, so be sure to ask for us by name.
I may need help with someone who is terminally ill.
If you know someone who is terminally ill, please contact us to learn more about hospice care. End-of-life discussions are difficult so it is best to have them long before it becomes a concern. Doing so can greatly reduce stress when the time for hospice becomes apparent. By having these discussions in advance, clients aren’t forced into uncomfortable situations. Instead, they can make an educated decision that includes the advice and input of loved ones and plans can be made in advance, thus avoiding a crisis situation. Contact us for more information or to arrange for services.
I need help managing a chronic disease.
Depending on the type of disease or condition affecting you, Home Health Care professionals may be able to help you learn to manage it and get your life back in control! We can work with you and your physician to develop a plan of care that may include daily monitoring of your vital signs through our Telehealth service and helping you manage your medications. Contact us for more information or to arrange for services.
I don't want to put my loved one in a nursing home.
Dealing with the realities of aging parents can be difficult logistically and emotionally. Often the option of nursing home placement is not the preferred solution. We want our parents to be safe and cared for, but it is often difficult or even impossible due to our own busy lives to care for them ourselves. Our In-Home Support caregivers can provide personal care, housekeeping, meal preparation, transportation, run errands and be a companion - from a few hours a day to 24-hour care - to keep your loved one safe and independent at home. You can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your family member has dependable help and is at home where he or she wants to be. Contact us for more information or to arrange for services.
Another option for keeping your loved one at home where he or she wants to be is our LIFE program.
LIFE (Living Independence For the Elderly) Lutheran Services, like Lutheran Home Care & Hospice, is a ministry of Lutheran Social Services, and currently serves residents in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. It is a creative program designed to help seniors to live safely in their homes with dignity and independence by providing access to comprehensive medical care. LIFE includes many elements of the traditional health care system coordinated by an interdisciplinary team and provided primarily in the LIFE Center, located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and is supplemented by in-home and referral services according to participant's needs. Click here to go to the LIFE Lutheran Services website.
About Us
Must I be Lutheran or Christian to receive your services?
No, Lutheran Social Services welcomes people of all faiths and life experiences in all of its ministries including Lutheran Home Care & Hospice. We serve those in need in our community, without regard to creed or belief. Contact us for more information or to arrange for services.
Home Health Care
Who pays for home health care?
For many people-skilled home health care and hospice are covered by their health insurance plan. Others draw on life insurance or other resources such as our benevolent care fund. Concern about financial arrangements should never prevent you from contacting us to discuss your or a loved one’s healthcare needs. Contact us for more information or to arrange for services.
How often does the nurse visit?
The frequency of visits by the nurse or other professionals varies from client to client and is based on your individual situation. Our staff will work with you, your doctor and your family to establish a plan for your care that meets your needs. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
Hospice
When is it time to call hospice?
Anyone who is living with serious, progressive disease would benefit from knowing about hospice care early in the disease process. Early information about hospice and palliative care will ease the minds of people who are coping with the knowledge that their disease will progress. Although end-of-life care is difficult to discuss, it is best to learn about hospice care, ask questions about what to expect and for family members to share their wishes long before they become a concern. This can greatly reduce stress when the time for hospice becomes apparent. By having these discussions in advance, clients aren’t forced into uncomfortable situations. Instead, they can make an educated decision that includes the advice and input of loved ones.
Consider hospice for yourself or someone you know if:
- It appears that continuing curative treatments will increase suffering while not providing a positive change in the client’s condition.
- There is a transition from aggressive care to comfort-oriented care.
- A family or caregiver shows signs of stress or fatigue and appears to be overwhelmed with the care responsibilities.
- Increased hospital visits or trips to the emergency department result in an outcome recommendation/decision for comfort measures only.
- The client desires a palliative (comfort care only) approach to the management of pain and other symptoms.
- The costs of managing the terminal illness are overburdensome.
Our Admission Care staff is available every day to answer questions about hospice care. Please do not hesitate to call. There is no cost for an informational visit. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
What if my loved one is still up and around/working/eating well/enjoying life?
The word hospice often brings to mind a picture of a person on his or her deathbed being comforted by a volunteer or hospice staff member. The belief that hospice care is for the last days or hours of life is a misunderstanding that causes many people who might benefit from hospice services to resist the care that could help them live more comfortably. Discussing hospice services in a positive way can help assure acceptance of this supportive, cost-saving program. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
Do I need to wait for the doctor to write an order/say that it's time?
Anyone can call hospice to start care. Our Admission Care staff will need the name of the client and the name of his or her physician so we can take care of obtaining the required order from the doctor. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
Is hospice just for cancer clients?
No, hospice is not just for cancer clients. Hospice can be provided to anyone with a terminal illness. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
Hospice is a philosophy of care that focuses on comfort measures and support that can be provided in a variety of places: a residence, nursing home, personal care setting or a hospital - wherever “home” is. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
Can I get hospice care in a nursing home?
Yes. Hospice care can be provided in a variety of places: a residence, nursing home, personal care setting or a hospital - wherever “home” is. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
What are the requirements to be eligible for hospice?
The client has a terminal illness with a prognosis of six months or less and has a desire for palliative rather than curative care. The client may choose discharge from hospice at any time and may re-elect hospice as long as he or she continues to meet the criteria above. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
Is it true that the client must have only six months to live to be eligible for hospice?
Typically, eligibility criteria include a six month or less life expectancy, but that can be very difficult to predict and therefore is not steadfast. Every person and every situation is different. Also, if a hospice client lives longer than six months, he or she is not automatically discharged from the program. We have had some clients for a year or more. Concern about meeting eligibility requirements should not keep you from calling hospice. Please contact us to learn more and our Admission Care staff can discuss your situation and determine eligibility.
Is it true that one has to be homebound to be eligible for hospice?
No, one does not have to be homebound to be eligible for hospice. Hospice is about living. We work with our clients to help them meet personal goals and live the last months, weeks and days to the fullest. That may mean attending a daughter’s college graduation or visiting a childhood friend across the country. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
What if the client improves or changes his/her mind and wants to "leave" hospice?
Clients may leave hospice at any time that they choose for any reason. If the client decides to come back to hospice at a later time, that is possible as well. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
Doesn't hospice mean "giving up"?
Choosing hospice care is not giving up. Choosing hospice is simply changing the focus of care from curing the disease to controlling the symptoms. There is still hope. With appropriate pain and symptom management, information and support, clients are able to concentrate on what is meaningful to them. Most hospice clients still have plans and goals and see value in every day. The condition of many hospice clients improves after admission to the program. In fact, one study showed that when hospice was involved early, clients lived longer than those who did not have hospice services. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
For many people, hospice and home healthcare are covered by their health insurance plan. Others draw on life insurance or other resources such as our benevolent care fund. Concern about financial arrangements should never prevent you from contacting us to discuss your or a loved one’s healthcare needs. Contact us to learn more or to arrange for services.
Telemonitoring
How does home health telemonitoring work?
Using innovative technology, a small monitor, about the size of a clock radio, is placed in a convenient location in the home. The monitor guides you through a simple procedure to collect vital signs (heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, weight and temperature, with additional option of blood glucose level) and asks “yes” or “no” questions about your condition, then transmits the data, via telephone, to our office where it is reviewed daily by our nurse. If any of the results indicate a problem or potential problem, our nurse will call you and then take necessary action depending on the situation. The nurse may contact your doctor for new instructions or come visit you. The data can be incorporated into trend reports and provided to your doctor on a regular basis. Contact us to learn more or arrange for services.
What happens if a problem is detected in my telemonitoring?
If any of the results indicate a problem or potential problem, our nurse will call you and then take necessary action depending on the situation. This may include a visit from the nurse, a medication change or a visit to the doctor. Contact us to learn more or arrange for services.
Who pays for home health telemonitoring?
For our home health care clients, telemonitoring is part of our standard of care and there is no extra charge. However, anyone can benefit from this proactive monitoring service, and it is available for private pay. Contact us to learn more or arrange for services.
Can my doctor have access to my telemonitoring information?
We have the capability to track the data over time and incorporate it into trend reports that we can provide to your doctor on a regular basis. Contact us to learn more or arrange for services.
In-Home Support
Who pays for in-home support services?
In-home support services are not medical in nature and therefore are not covered by health insurance. Some long-term care insurance policies do provide for coverage. The cost of these services varies depending on the types of services provided as well as the length of the visits. Some support for these services may be available through the PA Department of Aging waiver programs for individuals who qualify. Contact us to learn more or arrange for services.
Can I choose my in-home support caregiver?
We will talk with you to learn about your individual situation so that we can design a plan of care that best meets your needs and that involves deciding on which caregiver or combination of caregivers make the best fit. Contact us to learn more or arrange for services.
How much do in-home support services cost?
The cost of these services varies depending on the types of services provided as well as the length of the visits. Contact us to learn more or arrange for services.
Volunteers
Do I need any special skills to be a hospice volunteer?
Hospice volunteers can come from any background or faith. All one needs to be a hospice volunteer is sensitivity and caring for others. If you have a special skill that you'd like to share, we'd like to hear from you. Contact us to learn more.
I want to help as a hospice volunteer, but feel unprepared.
Hospice provides free training for all volunteers. A medical background or experience is not necessary. Additional training and in-service programs are scheduled throughout the year. Contact us to learn more.
I don't think I have the time.
You can volunteer for as little or as much time as you can give. We can make your volunteer opportunity fit your schedule, whether it's one day a week or one hour a month. Contact us to learn more.
How can I find out more about volunteering with Lutheran Home Care & Hospice?
Contact us. One of our Volunteer Coordinators will speak with you to familiarize you with our programs, talk to you about your interest and available time, and answer any specific questions.
Related Resources
- Consumer and Worker Risks from the Use of Nurse Registries and Independent Contractor Companies
- Elder Abuse Guidlines
- Five Wishes Advance Directives
- Medicare Information
- NY Times New Options (and Risks) in Home Care for Elderly has some scary prices
- Ostomy Diet Guide
- So Far Away: 20 Questions & Answers about Long Distance Caregiving
