Hospice and palliative care are essential services for anyone who is entering the last phase of their life. Many senior caregivers may rightly wonder which hospice and palliative care facilities, companies, and organizations are worth researching and what to consider when looking. This article will review what makes hospice in Florida as well as palliative care good and list some of state’s highly-rated senior care facilities.
What To Consider When Researching Hospice and Palliative Care Facilities
There are many things to consider when researching hospice in Florida as well as palliative care facilities. Thankfully, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has a hospice questionnaire people can cross-reference when considering hospice and palliative care options.
A few of the notable questions featured in the NHPCO’s questionnaire are:
- Is the facility for-profit or not-for-profit?
- How many years has it operated?
- Is both palliative and hospice care available?
- Is there an inpatient unit as well as home care?
- Is it Medicare-certified?
To develop this list, I used the above comparison points to determine if the hospice and palliative care facilities were worth considering. (Note that not all providers check all the “boxes.” I didn’t eliminate these providers because I acknowledge a website can only tell you so much. I recommend calling the providers listed to get all the details.) In addition, I only researched places that received a rating between 4-5 stars on Google and checked to see if each provider also appeared on the NHPCO’s provider list. Note that these hospice and palliative care facilities are not rated in any particular order. As always, with lists such as this, I encourage you and your loved one to do unique online research and to ask a trusted doctor, and possibly a social worker, for their thoughts on hospice and palliative care facilities in your area, too. (Another helpful decision-making tool is Medicare.gov’s provider comparison service.)
Top Hospice And Palliative Care Facilities in Florida
1. Covenant Care (Pensacola)
Covenant Care serves two areas in the state. This hospice was founded in 1980 and is not for profit. It also has a state license, is Medicare-certified, and is accredited by The Joint Commission. Covenant provides inpatient care and is “equipped to address the most complex cases” when an “illness is not manageable at home.” Covenant Care’s “Centers for Hospice Care provide high-intensity levels of care during brief periods of crisis.” In addition to providing inpatient hospice care, it also has special programs, including:
- My Wish: A program that makes wishes come true for seriously ill patients and their families.
- Camp Connect: A day camp for kids that helps them work through grief and loss.
- Covenant Veterans Care: A program that honors veterans. This hospice is part of We Honor Veterans. The NHPCO, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs, developed the “We Honor Veterans” campaign.
- Partners in Care: Together for Kids: A program that supports kids with life-threatening illnesses.
- Bereavement and Spiritual Care
- Project Lifesaver: A program that provides Alzheimer’s patients with a watch-sized transmitter that emits a 24-hour-a-day signal.
- Respite care
In addition to these programs, Covenant also provides palliative care.
2. Suncoast Hospice Care Center (Palm Harbor)
This Suncoast Hospice Care Center serves one area. It has a state license and is Medicare-certified. I could not determine if it’s accredited. Suncoast provides care to patients wherever they live and also has inpatient care for people who need extended, continuous care. Suncoast has operated for 40 years and is not for profit. In addition to standard hospice care, Suncoast also provides massage therapy, pet support, a music program, and more. This hospice is also part of We Honor Veterans, and offers integrative care, including “palliative arts,” to help decrease patient pain and increase their well-being.
3. Haven – Tri-Counties Hospice Care Center (Chiefland)
Haven Hospice (Chiefland) (founded in 1979) serves multiple areas (18 counties) in the state. It has a state license, is Medicare-certified, and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). In addition to providing hospice services, Haven also provides “Advance Care Planning” and “Palliative Care Consultations.” This hospice provides care to patients wherever they live. In addition to providing standard hospice care, Haven also offers specialty services, such as:
- Camp Safe Haven: a no-cost camp for children, youth, and families who have lost a loved one.
- Grief and caregiver support
- Educational offerings
Haven also has received several awards.
4. William Childs Hospice House (Palm Bay)
Health First Hospice, which operates William Childs Hospice House, serves one area in the state. This non-profit hospice has operated since 1985, and has a state license, is Medicare-certified, and is accredited by The Joint Commission.
Hospice of Health First provides the following care: It serves patients in their “home” (wherever they call home).
William Childs Hospice House provides the following care: This hospice house is “ located on five secluded acres on the campus of Health First Palm Bay Hospital.” It provides inpatient care in its 16-bed facility.
In addition to providing general hospice care (volunteer help, nursing, etc.), this hospice also offers other types of support through art and medicine, pet therapy, a Teen Leaders 2 (TL2) program that links teens with hospice patients, transportation offerings, and more. This hospice also has been awarded many honors. It’s unclear if Health First Hospice provides palliative care.
5. Treasure Coast Hospice (Stuart)
Treasure Coast Hospice (a nonprofit hospice founded in 1982) provides care to three areas in the state. It has a state license and is Medicare-certified. It’s unclear if this hospice is accredited. This hospice provides care to patients “wherever they call home.”Treasure Coast also has three inpatient units to serve hospice patients that need “a higher level of care.” In addition to providing routine hospice care, this hospice also offers a few unique services:
- Treasured Pets: A program that brings therapy dogs into inpatient units and helps patients who live at home care for their pets. Read more about this program here.
- Veterans Program: Treasure is a “Level Four We Honor Veterans Partner with the VA and other veterans organizations.” Read more about this program here.
- Grief support
It’s unclear if this hospice has a standalone palliative care program.
6. Big Bend Hospice Inc. (Tallahassee)
Big Bend Hospice Inc., which was founded in 1983, serves eight areas in the state. It has a state license, is Medicare-certified, and is accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP). CHAP is a nonprofit, independent accrediting organization. The hospice provides care wherever a patient calls home and inpatient care at The Margaret Z. Dozier House. The Jean McCully Family House is an extra hospice benefit for a patient’s family members. This “house” provides a “home-like setting for visiting relatives and friends to be with their loved ones, meet with their Care Team, receive bereavement support, and have a calming place to eat, rest, and be together.”
In addition to providing general hospice care, Big Bend also offers:
- Music therapy
- Pet therapy
- Veteran’s services (it’s part of We Honor Veterans)
- Transitions program
It’s also associated with the following organizations, programs, and accreditations:
- Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association
- National Institute for Jewish Hospice accredited
- National Partnership for Hospice Innovation
- Pet Peace of Mind
I could not determine if this hospice also provides palliative care, but I did confirm that it’s not for profit.
7. Avow Hospice Inc. – Frances Georgeson House and Administration Office (Naples)
Avow Hospice Inc., which calls itself “a non-profit provider of hospice, palliative, and grief support services,” serves one area in the state. It’s Medicare-certified and is accredited by The Joint Commission. I could not determine if it has a state license. Avow serves patients where they live and also provides “general inpatient care at Georgeson Hospice House.”
In addition to providing standard hospice in Florida, Avow also provides:
- Caregiver support
- Education for patient family members
- Avow Hospice Compliance Program
- Avow Kids
- Non-hospice palliative care
It’s also associated with the following organizations, programs, and accreditations:
- National Partnership for Hospice Innovation
- Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association
- SAFE Care Elder LGBT Care Certified
- National Institute for Jewish Hospice
- Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network Member
- Blue Zones Project Approved Worksite
Avow’s hospice was founded in 1983. It began providing non-hospice palliative care in 2003.
8. Heartland Hospice Services (Jacksonville)
Heartland Hospice Services (part of Heartland and ProMedica) serves one area in the state (five counties). It has a state license, is Medicare-certified, and is accredited by the ACHC. This hospice (as well as Heartland) also provides palliative care. It appears that this hospice only provides care to patients in their homes (a house, assisted living, etc.) and not a standalone facility. Along with providing standard hospice care, Heartland Hospice is part of the We Honor Veterans program and provides grants to some patients and their families through a memorial fund. I could not determine when this hospice was founded or if it’s for or not for profit.
9. Halifax Health Hospice West Volusia Care Center (Orange City)
Halifax Health Hospice West Volusia Care Center (founded in 1979) serves two areas (four counties) in the state. This hospice is not-for-profit and Medicare-certified, but I could not determine if it is accredited or has a state license. It appears that this hospice only serves patients in their homes but is available 24 hours a day when “unanticipated situations” arise. In addition to providing general hospice in Florida, Halifax also offers other services, such as:
- Camp BeginAgain
- Children’s Grief Centers
- Family Caregiver Program
- Complementary Therapies
- Traumatic Loss Program
I could not determine if this hospice has a palliative care program.
10. Hospice of Marion County
Hospice of Marion County serves one area in the state. It has a state license, is Medicare-certified, and is accredited by The Joint Commission. This hospice, which had a different name at the time, has operated since 1981 and is not for profit. In addition to caring for patients in their homes, this hospice also has inpatient care (in this hospice’s three hospice homes) for those who need the service. Hospice of Marion County also is part of the We Honor Veterans program. And although it does not appear that this hospice has a palliative care program, it references that Marion County patients can get this type of supportive care at Carewell Supportive Care.