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Frequently Asked Questions
hospice and palliative care services are designed to care for a patient and the family in the last few years of life. Four Seasons has designed its healthcare services and has partnered with other healthcare entities in the area to meet the needs of the patients and families we serve. What makes Four Seasons different from other healthcare entities? Four Seasons is one of the most respected end-of-life care specialists in the country, Four Seasons focuses exclusively on serving people who are facing a serious life limiting illness through their last few years and months, and Four Seasons centers our services around the patient and the family, helping them live well. Do you treat more than just physical symptoms? Each of us is more than a physical being and care must be holistic—addressing the body, mind, spirit, and social dimensions. This is why Four Seasons’ approach to healthcare includes physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, spiritual care professionals, certified nursing assistants, and volunteers. What if I need more than just hospice services? We know many patients and family members have needs that go well beyond traditional hospice and palliative care services. This is why we have added the Connections Program. This program is designed to help people access other community services. Who is in control of my care? When was the last time someone in healthcare asked you, “What are your goals, what do you want?” Our staff wants to know your goals for care and service at this time in your life. We then use our team to try our best to help meet those goals. We will travel this path together; you don’t have to travel it alone. How can Four Seasons help family members? We care for both patients and family members. One of the wonderful things that sets hospice and palliative apart from other healthcare services is that we treat the patient and family as a unit. We focus on meeting the patient’s goals, while making sure the family members are receiving the support they need – spiritually and psychosocially. Can I keep my physician? You can maintain the relationship you have established with your physician. Four Seasons will work with and coordinate your care with your physician. If you and your physician prefer that our physicians make a home visit, we can accommodate that request, afterwards your physician will be updated on their findings and collaborate on recommended changes to the plan of care. We are here to help. We walk along side the patient, the caregiver, and the family. Often after the hospice and palliative care experience many will say, “We wish we had known about your services sooner.” The staff of Four Seasons strives to ensure all those in our service areas know about us. We do not want anyone to walk their journey alone. Do all hospice patients have cancer? The majority of our patients do not have cancer. They may have other illnesses such as emphysema, renal failure, liver disease, heart disease, dementia, etc. In addition, our patients are not always elderly; you can receive hospice and palliative care services at any age. What can I expect with my illness? Nothing is more frightening than the unknown. hospice and palliative care staff members are highly skilled and experienced health professionals and will help you understand what to expect throughout the different stages of the illness. How long has Four Seasons been in our community? Four Seasons has providing services for over 25 years. We have been in service since 1979, as one of the first hospices in the country. Today Four Seasons is one of the premier hospice and palliative care providers in the country due to our consistent focus on giving the best care possible to patients and their families. Are there special services for grieving children? We offer grief counseling services to children. Our Heart Songs program is a bereavement program that is very specific to children. Children grieve differently than adults and need special types of counseling. Studies have shown that children who receive counseling are more likely to lead healthy productive lives, and are less likely to let their loss negatively affect their future. How are hospice and palliative care services paid for? Our services are covered by most typical methods of payment. Hospice and palliative care services are covered through Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance, and the generosity of our donors. How is Four Seasons contributing to the national hospice movement? Four Seasons is one of the premier hospice and palliative providers in the country. As Four Seasons has grown, our reputation for high quality of care has earned national recognition. Brown University selected Four Seasons as one of six hospices in the country to study how we successfully collaborate with nursing facilities. Several staff members regularly present at national conferences on the unique and specialized services our agency provides. What is your standard for care? Four Seasons strives to provide patient care comparable to what we would want for our own family. What is Elizabeth House? The Elizabeth House is used as our “hospice hospital”. The Elizabeth House is utilized to care for patients whose symptoms cannot be controlled and require more intense nursing care for a short period of time. What if I can no longer make the trip to my regular physician’s office? Four Seasons always supports the relationship with your established physician. If during the course of your care you cannot make it into your doctor’s office our team of physicians and nurse practitioners can make house calls. How does the community help? Every gift matters. Four Seasons is a non-profit organization and receives revenue from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance. However, we do not receive enough from these sources to meet the needs of the community. Therefore, fund raising and gift giving are needed. These gifts enable us to take care of all patients regardless of their payment source, and to ensure Four Seasons has the capacity to care for you and your loved ones in the future. Where are you located? All staff supporting services of Four Seasons are on one campus. We have adequate space to house community services, palliative care services, bereavement services, volunteer services, inpatient care at the Elizabeth House, administrative support, and research. The convenience of one location makes it easier for everyone – patients, families, volunteers and staff. What is Greatrex Place? Greatrex Place is our community services building and staff center, named after Irene Greatrex. Ms. Greatrex left her estate to our agency to be used at our discretion. Her gift came at a crucial time when we were considering building our new facility and thought it only appropriate to honor her in this way. Do you have an inpatient facility? Our inpatient facility is known as Elizabeth House. The McGrady family’s generous financial support, along with gifts from others in the community, made this facility a reality. It is named in honor of the late Dr. Kay McGrady’s mother – Elizabeth Reilly – who was a pioneer in end-of-life nursing care. What if I can’t afford to pay for services? We provide all patients with care regardless of their payment source. Four Seasons is a community based not for profit organization. We do accept Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance. All persons qualified to receive hospice or Palliative Care services can be assured that they will receive the very best care possible regardless of their payment source. How long do hospice patients generally live? It is not unusual for people who are admitted to hospice to live longer than six months. In fact, recent studies have shown that patients that receive hospice care actually live longer. Do I have to go to Elizabeth House to receive services? No, we will take care of patients wherever they reside — private homes, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or hospitals.
FAQS about Bereavement ServicesWhat are Four Seasons’s bereavement services? Before or after a death, you may request individual grief counseling. You’ll be invited to bereavement support groups and grief workshops. For about a year after a death, you’ll receive mailings and phone calls. You may also borrow materials from our grief library. What do bereavement services cost? Services are free of charge to any grieving person who lives in our service area. It is not required that the person who died was a hospice patient. What about grieving children? Children can receive counseling through Heart Songs, which is supported by United Way of Henderson County. What happens in the support groups? Bereavement support groups are facilitated by grief counselors. We create a confidential and comfortable environment in which participants may share their grief experiences with others. Each adult support group meets for six sessions. The same group members begin and end on the same dates. For families with children, Heart Songs offers separate groups for children and their parents. How are workshops different from support groups? Workshops are more educational than participative. Those who attend may watch a video, hear a bereavement counselor speak about specific grief topics, and ask questions. Two workshops offered regularly are Grief 101 and Grief During the Holidays. What if I don’t need bereavement services and don’t want calls or letters? You may decline services at any time. Should you decide to ask for services later, a phone call is all that is needed to reinstate bereavement services. How can I contact the bereavement team? Phone : 828-692-6178
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