Hospice Care

Corona Regional Medical Center joins the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and Corona Regional Hospice in foreseeing "A world where individuals and families facing serious illness, death and grief will experience the best that humankind can offer".

A terminal illness affects everyone whose life it touches — patients, families, friends. Hospice care is intended to help patients and the people who love them face this challenge.

Hospice is a special program that provides dignity, comfort and support to patients and their families and friends when a life limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatment. Hospice staff members are trained to provide a sensitive support system that assists patients and their families cope with physical, spiritual and emotional factors related to the patient's terminal condition.

Care can be provided in the patient's home, board and care facility, or in a contracted skilled nursing facility.

Hospice is not a physical place, but is a concept of compassionate care that can be provided anywhere the patient resides.

Benefits of Hospice Care
Hospice stresses quality rather than length of life. When a terminal illness must be faced, Hospice will educate a patient and family about the disease process and provide symptom control with emphasis on minimizing pain and discomfort. Hospice is about support, compassion and dignity. The patient and family are involved in making decisions about patient care. Hospice is also about providing services and programs that can help people live complete and rich lives in spite of loss and grief.

The goal of Hospice at Corona Regional Medical Center is to help patients live their last months or weeks as fully and comfortably as possible. We are dedicated to providing quality care, utilizing a team approach to meet the individual needs of our patients.

Bereavement Care
Our support does not end with the patient's death. We know that the stress of dealing with a terminal illness, followed by the loss of the loved one, can be devastating. In order to help the family deal with the emotional impact of the death, we provide bereavement care for as long as a year. We also provide community based grief recovery and bereavement support groups, where families can meet, share emotions and experiences, and gain strength from other families who have experienced similar losses.

Eligibility Criteria
Patients must have a terminal prognosis with a life expectancy of 6 months or less (certified by the patient's primary care physician and the Hospice Medical Director). Hospice care is intended for patients who are no longer seeking curative treatment and desire pain management, support and comfort.

Reimbursement
Hospice care is fully covered by Medicare and Medi-Cal. This includes the cost of medical equipment, medications and other care related to the patient's hospice diagnosis. Most private insurance and managed care plans also cover Hospice services. Patients enrolled in Senior HMO plans may elect Hospice care which is covered through Medicare while retaining their HMO plan.

Our Services

A multidisciplinary, dedicated team of experienced and compassionate staff, under the direction of the patient's primary care physician or Hospice Medical Director
On-call nursing services available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week
Psychological counseling and support
Patient and family education
Volunteer support and training
Durable medical equipment and medical supplies
Dietary counseling
Spiritual support/guidance

Home Health Aid

Contact Us

The Corona Regional Medical Center Hospice Service serves west and central Riverside County. You can contact us by calling: Corona 951-735-0274, Toll-Free 800-232-5968.

Hospice Volunteers

The volunteers who serve in hospice do so for many reasons, but most volunteers, through their own life experiences, understand loss and grief. Some of our volunteers serve in patient care to support hospice patients and their families. Others do clerical work. Some work on fundraisers, such as "Light Up a Life", our annual service where everyone who passed away while on hospice care that year is remembered. A few choose to work on our special projects, like filling bags for the homeless, making lap robes for hospice patients, or creating and maintaining a special computer program that helps us track things we need.

Hospice volunteers receive 40 hours of training and attend an in-service once a month. The average volunteer works anywhere from two to eight hours per week. Some enjoy it so much that we have to remind them when the office closes! Volunteers are rewarded with quarterly luncheons combined with the hospital volunteers, a special thank-you for "Light Up a Life" and a holiday party.

Some of our volunteers have been with hospice longer than some of our employees. Volunteers make friends for life as they work together serving our hospice families. If you would like more information on becoming a Hospice Volunteer, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at 951-736-7286.

Note: The information on this Web site is provided as general health guidelines and may not be applicable to your particular health condition. Your individual health status and any required medical treatments can only be properly addressed by a professional healthcare provider of your choice. Remember: There is no adequate substitution for a personal consultation with your physician. Neither Corona Regional Medical Center, or any of their affiliates, nor any contributors shall have any liability for the content or any errors or omissions in the information provided by this Web site.

The information, content and artwork provided by this Web site is intended for non-commercial use by the reader. The reader is permitted to make one copy of the information displayed for his/her own non-commercial use. The making of additional copies is prohibited.