Professional Information

 

 

Referrals from physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities or other long-term care facilities can be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 317.805.4711.  Keystone Hospice is committed to admitting patients within 24 to 48 hours of the referral. 

 

Patients to be admitted need to have an attending physician certify that the patient has a terminal diagnosis with a life expectancy of six months or less. It is important to note that Keystone Hospice is committed to keeping each patient under the care of their chosen physician. We work diligently to

keep the attending physician

informed, enabling him or her to

effectively make decisions

regarding the care of the patient.

If the attending physician does

not wish to follow the patient for

hospice care, one of our medical

directors can assume that role for

the patient's hospice needs.

 

Keystone Hospice does not

require a "Do Not Resuscitate"

order. Patients with cancer, as

well as other end-stage diagnoses, are appropriate for hospice care - about 40 percent of patients have diagnoses other than cancer, such as Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, end-stage neurological diseases and other system failures. 

 

We can best help patients and their families when we are consulted early in the end-of-life process. This enables patients and caregivers to benefit from the most comprehensive care possible.

 

If you are not certain that the patient is appropriate for hospice, please call for a consultation with the admissions department. A registered nurse or a social worker can visit to help determine how needs can best be met. Consultation with the admissions team or a medical director is available to physicians who have difficulty in certifying prognosis, or who would like a hospice staff member to meet with the family and provide more information.

 

Ideally, the staff of the long-term care facilities and assisted living facilities will have discussed the referral with the attending physician or the facility's medical director.

 

For information, or a hospice care consultation, please call 317.805.4711.