Houston Hospice

Through its Charity Care program, Houston Hospice provides hospice care annually to approximately100 terminally ill patients who do not have insurance or the funding needed to cover such expenses. Each Houston Hospice service area is covered by an interdisciplinary care team consisting of a physician, nurse, hospice aide, social worker, chaplain and volunteer. Houston Hospice care teams are experts at managing life-limiting illness. The hospice team ensures that medication, therapies and treatments support an individualized care plan that is centered on the patient's goals.

To better serve children, Houston Hospice initiated The Butterfly Program; providing special services for children with life-limiting conditions who are aged 18 and younger.

We are committed to offering a variety of bereavement services to individuals, with special emphasis on providing family bereavement support. The goal is to help the patient’s family and other loved ones cope with grief and loss issues. Bereavement services are offered for at least a year after the patient’s death. These services may include, correspondence, grief support groups, phone support and our special seminars around the holidays.

Admission to the Houston Hospice Care Center (In-Patient Unit or IPU), located in the Texas Medical Center, or another contracted facility, will be assessed and determined by our hospice physician. Consideration is given to those who have unrelieved, unmanageable symptoms and eligibility is reviewed on a daily basis. Once symptoms are under control, Routine Home Care will be reinstated, with the physician’s approval.

Respite Care is a plan of care that helps families obtain much needed rest and time for self-care by providing care for the patient in the care giver’s absence. Up to 5 days of Respite Care is provided to patients, at our Hospice Care Center (Inpatient Unit or IPU) in the Texas Medical Center or a contracted facility.

Houston Hospice, in partnership with We Honor Veterans (WHV), a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, and in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has developed a specialized hospice care plan for the increasing number of Veterans who are nearing end-of-life. To meet the needs of this growing population, Houston Hospice Veterans Program, focusing on education, advocacy, and mentorship, has reached WHV Level 5, the highest level of advanced, Veteran-specific hospice care dedicated to the unique needs of those who have served. Our multidisciplinary team collaborates with each Veteran’s primary physician and family members to create a customized, Veteran-centric care plan. Houston Hospice’s goal is to care for and honor those who have served when they reach the end of life.