Criteria for Admission

Hospice Southeastern Connecticut accepts patients who face an advanced illness and have a limited life expectancy. We admit patients regardless of age or diagnosis. Care in the home is provided regardless of the individual's insurance or ability to pay. We are able in many cases to provide hospice care in Skilled Nursing Facilities. Patients come to us from friends, family, physicians, and clergy. We encourage people to call us to find out if the time is right to pursue hospice care.

Hospice philosophy views death as a natural event. Experience teaches us that the earlier a patient and family seek hospice services, the more effective we are at relieving emotional stress and preserving a meaningful life until the time of death.

Additional Criteria

• Patients must live within the service area (New London County and beyond)
• There is a family member or other person who accepts responsibility for the primary care of the patient, or a plan that protects the patient's safety and implements his or her decisions. (see Live Alone Program)
• Patient and primary caregiver understand and accept the hospice philosophy of palliative care.
• Patient and primary caregiver know the diagnosis and expected course of the illness.
• The patient has chosen not to seek aggressive treatment.
• The primary physician consents to the patient's admission to hospice.