Hospice is a special kind of care design to provide sensitivity and support for people in the final phase of a life threatening illness. Hospice care seeks to enable patients to carry on an alert, pain free life and to manage other symptoms so that their last days may be spent with dignity and quality at home or in a home-like setting.
Patients receive care in the comfort of their own homes. Services are available to persons who can no longer benefit from curative treatment; the typical life expectancy of a patient is six months or less. Services are provided by a team of trained professionals – physicians, nurses, counselors, therapists, aides and volunteers who provide medical care and support services not only to the patients, but to the entire family. Referrals can be made by family members, friends, clergy or health professionals. All patients of Hospice of Imperial Valley receive the same level of care regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, national origin.