Hospice and Palliative Care Resources

Midwest Care Alliance

Midwest Care Alliance (formerly known as Ohio Hospice and Palliative Care Organization), a non-profit organization, was chartered in 1979 in response to the need to promote hospice care and to support the growth and development of provider programs through education, advocacy and technical information.  Originally known as the Ohio Hospice Organization, its name was changed in 1999 to Ohio Hospice & Palliative Care Organization in order to promote the development of palliative care programs. In December of 2006, the OHPCO Board of Directors approved the development of a home care division (Ohio Home Care Organization) within the organization to begin providing similar services to Home Care Agencies.

The organization is committed to providing hospice, home & palliative care education, technical and supportive services and advocacy to members, non members, and members of the community.  The three identified areas or divisions above are engaged in the care of patients who are facing end of life, those who require home or community based care, or who are experiencing advanced chronic illness or life-limiting injury/conditions.

Additionally, Midwest Care Alliance provides education and guidance for health care planning by distributing advance care planning materials such as Living Will Declarations, Health Care Power of Attorney Forms, Organ Donation Forms and Do Not Resuscitate Information.  Midwest Care Alliance is a charitable organization which receives its funding through a variety of resources, including member dues, educational programming, grant funding, donations and charitable giving.

We believe that through appropriate means and a caring community, a family may achieve physical, mental, and spiritual comfort for the duration of service and beyond.  This website was developed with a focus on providing education and information to consumers, professionals, and member providers.

For more information, log on to http://associationdatabase.com/aws/OHPCO/pt/sp/Home_Page or call 1-800-776-9513.

National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO):

The following statements were originally published in the 2000 edition of NHPCO’s Standards of Practice for Hospice Programs.  The current edition of NHPCO’s Hospice Standards of Practice for Hospice Programs (2006) is written to reflect the ten components of Quality Partners.  The statements from 2000 are still relevant and helpful to the field.

Preamble to NHPCO Standards of Practice: Hospice affirms the concept of palliative care as an intensive program that enhances comfort and promotes the quality of life for individuals and their families.  When cure is no longer possible, hospice recognizes that a peaceful and comfortable death is an essential goal of health care.  Hospice believes that death is an integral part of the life cycle and that intensive palliative care focuses on pain relief, comfort and enhanced quality of life as appropriate goals for the terminally ill.  Hospice also recognizes the potential for growth that often exists within the dying experience for the individual and his/her family and seeks to protect and nurture this potential.

Terminal illness is frequently defined as the point where nothing more can be done to cure someone.  This limited focus and lack of concern for caring issues such as pain and symptom control can lead to increased suffering and isolation for patients and family members.  In reality, supportive, positive care directed toward comfort and growth can be offered to individuals and their families during the end of life.

Hospice addresses the needs and opportunities during the last phase of life by including the individual and family, trained volunteers, caregivers and clinical professionals in the care-giving team.  This interdisciplinary approach to care focuses on the individual’s physical symptoms and the emotional and spiritual concerns of the patient and family.  The team works together to develop a plan of care and to provide services that will enhance the quality of life and provide support for the individual and family while respecting their wishes during the terminal phases of the illness and the bereavement period.

For more information, log on to http://www.nhpco.org/templates/1/homepage.cfm or call NHPCO’s HelpLine at 1-800-658-8898.