Joseph Richey Hospice
Joseph Richey, a Medicare/Medicaid certified hospice, located in downtown Baltimore MD has served the needs of the community for 20 years. We provide home hospice services, and skilled inpatient and respite care at our 20-bed-hospice inpatient unit, Richey House. We have a reputation for providing effective palliative end of life care, with a special emphasis on pain and symptom management.
Hospice care offers a team approach to end of life care with an emphasis on comfort. We provide pain and symptom management, emotional, spiritual and bereavement support, making the patient the leader of the care team. JRH teaches family members to support the patient, provides all drugs and medical equipment needed to help maintain the patient in their own home. A physician, RN, hospice aide, social worker chaplain and volunteer work together to help the family cope with end of life issues and to provide an effective 24/7 care link. The hospice team develops an individual care plan for each patient at the onset of care and updates each plan at weekly team meetings. The plan of care is the road map to address the care needs of the patient and family.
Care at Richey House, our 20-bed inpatient facility, is situated in four beautifully restored 1870's row houses. Care is provided at 1 to 4 clinical staff to patient ratio. All patient rooms are private. An RN is on duty 24/7 together with 3 hospice aides. Richey House operates with 30 volunteer physicians who provide daily oversight of our program. Hospice care celebrates the end of life, enabling patients with end stage disease to achieve effective comfort. Our patients are able to achieve many goals as a result of feeling pain free. Joseph Richey is licensed by the state of Maryland, a member of the Hospice and Palliative Care Network of Maryland and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. To qualify for hospice care a patient must have a physician certification of terminal illness with a life expectancy of six months or less if the illness runs its normal course.
Services provided by the Joseph Richey Hospice
Service is provided in the home, nursing facilities and at Richey House offering skilled inpatient, respite and residential hospice care. We offer frequent visitation by the RN in the home to teach families how to care for the patient, expert pain and symptom management, hospice aides to assist with the patient's personal care needs, social workers to provide practical, emotional and bereavement services and chaplains to provide spiritual comfort. We provide all drugs, medical equipment and supplies related to the terminal illness.
The cost of hospice care is usually fully covered by Medicare (Part A), Medicaid and private insurance such as Blue Cross or Aetna. Joseph Richey accepts patients without discrimination and without regard to ability to pay. Hospice support is available 24/7 on-call. A registered nurse answers questions and arranges for home visits as needed. While many people on hospice care have cancer, we also care for people with heart disease, AIDS, ALS, CVA/Coma, dementia, liver and renal disease and end stage Alzheimer's. Trust Joseph Richey Hospice the oldest freestanding hospice in Baltimore with the care of your loved one. We promise to do our best!
Dear Friends,
As I reflect on the year gone by, an old song runs through my head — prompted by a sunny guy we first met last July in Joseph Richey hospice home care. Michael, a Vietnam veteran, had end stage lung cancer. He was living in a friend's trailer, behind a welding shop in east Baltimore. Michael spent his days in the shop where his friend could give him a hand and nights in the borrowed trailer that had no electricity or water. Our homecare staff loved Michael and treasured his cheer. As time went by he came to live at Richey House.
Michael was endearing. He enjoyed time outside, migrating to our flower-filled deck or the back porch to smoke — as soon as the sun came up. He made friends with other patients, and boomed a hearty hello to all. He adored the food and looked forward to dessert. Michael was the epitome of the old Mamma's and Papa's song ... "We'll sing in the sunshine. We'll laugh every day. We'll sing in the sunshine and then be on our way." Michael died one bright October day, surrounded by the many who loved him. We treasured our time together.
This holiday season, I invite you to celebrate life. The holiday season is full of wrappings and wonders, tables full of delicious treats and the smell of pine. It's a time to dance and sing for joy. I urge you to sing of love and gladness. Please remember that the very best wrappings you can give are your arms around someone you love. Dance with angels. Follow a star. Sing in the sunshine. Laugh every day.
Faithfully,
Sister Catherine Grace
Co-Founder: The Joseph Richey Hospice Inc.
For more information, please contact:
Joseph Richey Hospice
838 North Eutaw Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
| Phone: | 410-523-2150 |
|---|---|
| Fax: | 410-523-1146 |
| Email: | Joseph Richey Hospice |
| Website: | www.josephricheyhospice.org |