COMMUNITY HOSPICE OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA

Hospice Homecare Established in 1979, Community Hospice & Palliative Care is an innovative national leader in palliative and hospice care, providing programs and services to meet the diverse needs of the communities it serves. During its 46-year history, the Jacksonville, Florida-based nonprofit organization has served approximately 220,000 adults and children in 16 counties in Northeast and North Central Florida: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee and Union. During Fiscal Year 2024, the organization helped 8,983 patients and their families live better with advanced illness through hospice care and support programs. Most of this care is provided in the home setting, including private residences, nursing homes and assisted living communities. Community Hospice & Palliative Care ensures patients' comfort by addressing their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs through interdisciplinary clinical care teams, whose members make up more than half of the organization's 896 employees, along with the services of approximately 525 volunteers. The organization also assists family caregivers through education, access to community resources and bereavement support for up to 13 months after a loss. The Community Hospice & Palliative Care mission is to improve the quality of life for patients and their families and to be the compassionate guide for end-of-life care in our community. Our goal is to provide comfort and address symptoms from life-limiting conditions, as well as provide supportive care to family members and other loved ones. The organization focuses on enhancing the quality of life while respecting patients' cultural beliefs and values. No one is ever denied care due to an inability to pay. Community Hospice & Palliative Care support includes in-home nursing; physician services; psychosocial services; spiritual support; certified nursing assistant (CNA); medical equipment (such as wheelchairs, beds and walkers); medical supplies (such as bandages and catheters); drugs for symptom management and/or pain relief; bereavement counseling and support; physical and occupational therapy; speech, music, massage and/or pet therapy; and dietary counseling. The organization also offers inpatient care, short-term respite care, veteran- and caregiver-focused services, and specialized care for those of the Jewish faith, children's programs and advance care planning. A dedicated, interdisciplinary team of professionals works with patients to help manage the pain and symptoms associated with a life-limiting illness, and provides personal, respectful care and assistance. The organization helps educate patients and their caregivers about the illness they have and what to expect as the illness progresses, and about medicines and therapies to help manage patient comfort. On-call services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In Fiscal Year 2024, our homecare teams provided 411,671 routine days of care.

Hospice Inpatient Care Inpatient care, if needed, is available in one of our nine inpatient centers, called Centers for Caring. These facilities are available for patients who need pain and symptom management at an acute level unavailable in a homecare setting. The patient stays until his/her condition and symptoms are stabilized, typically three to five days or less. Our facilities offer homelike surroundings with gardens and serene settings. In Fiscal Year 2024, our staff provided 20,318 days of General Inpatient Care (GIP).