Patient Care at Delaware Hospice
From worrying symptoms to overwhelming stress, coping with a life-limiting illness can easily interfere with what matters most, and you deserve care that brings comfort, clarity and compassion. At Delaware Hospice, you’ll find a team that truly listens, understands your needs, and walks with you every step of the way.
Whether you’re exploring options for hospice, palliative care, dementia support, or help for your child or teen, we’re here to help you feel more at ease and supported through every stage.
Hospice Care: Compassion and Comfort When It Matters Most
If you’re living with a serious illness that’s no longer responding to curative treatment, hospice care can offer comfort, dignity and quality of life – for both you and your loved ones.
With hospice, you receive expert medical support, pain and symptom management, emotional and spiritual care, and help for your family. You can receive care wherever you call home – whether that’s a private residence, a nursing facility, or at our dedicated Delaware Hospice Center.
You can expect:
- A care team that includes nurses, social workers, chaplains, aides and volunteers
- 24/7 on-call support, so you’re never alone
- Grief support and counseling for you and your family
- Special programs like Helping Hearts to support cardiac care
- Respite care if your family caregiver needs a break
- Short-term inpatient care at the Delaware Hospice Center when symptoms become too complex to manage at home
The Delaware Hospice Center: Around-the-Clock Comfort
When care at home isn’t enough – whether for complex symptom management or simply a short break for your caregiver to rest and recharge – the Delaware Hospice Center in Milford offers a peaceful setting with 24/7 care.
You’ll find private patient suites and a compassionate team dedicated to keeping you comfortable and supported at all times. It’s also a place where family and friends can gather in comfort with welcoming family areas and serene gardens.
Palliative Care: Relief and Support During Serious Illness
If you’re still receiving treatments to manage your illness – but struggling with pain, stress or symptoms – palliative care can help. It’s focused on relieving discomfort and improving your quality of life, even while you continue seeing your specialists.
You don’t need to give up treatment to get palliative care. It’s here to make every day a little easier.
Your palliative care team can:
- Help manage pain, fatigue or other distressing symptoms
- Coordinate care between different doctors
- Support you emotionally and spiritually
- Help you and your family plan for future care
- Offer guidance with treatment decisions
Dementia Care and Support for Families
If your loved one is living with dementia, you may be feeling a range of emotions – confusion, grief and exhaustion among them. Our Dementia Care Program offers you education, resources and compassionate support tailored to the specific challenges of dementia caregiving.
You can also join one of our dementia support groups, where you’ll connect with others who understand what you’re going through.
If you’re facing dementia, our Dementia Care Program provides even more specialized support for you and your caregivers – tailored to where you are in your journey. Help is available 24/7 and we offer additional support through our Palliative Care Program.
To receive services under our Dementia Care Program, individuals must meet requirements as determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Eligible beneficiaries must meet the following criteria:
- Medicare as primary payer
- Enrolled in Medicare Parts A or B (not Medicare Advantage, including Special Needs Plans and PACE)
- Not enrolled in hospice
- Not residing in a long-term nursing home
People with Medicare who receive care under our Dementia Care Program will be placed in one of five “tiers,” based on a combination of their disease stage and caregiver status as determined by CMS. Beneficiary needs and, correspondingly, care intensity and payment, increase by tier.
| TIER | CRITERIA |
| Low complexity | Mild dementia |
| Moderate complexity | Moderate or severe dementia and low to moderate caregiver strain |
| Moderate to high complexity | Moderate or severe dementia |
| High complexity | Moderate or severe dementia and high caregiver strain |
An assessment identifies your individual health needs to build a care plan tailored to provide the services you need.
A relative or unpaid non-relative who helps as a caregiver can receive education and support when they need it. We also offer ongoing Dementia Support Groups for all caregivers supporting a loved one with dementia, regardless of whether they are currently under our care or part of any of our programs.
For those who qualify, our Dementia Care Program respite services can be provided, up to an annual cap, so caregivers may take a break when they need to. Support comes from local in-home respite providers, adult day centers and nursing homes. This service is based on eligibility under CMS requirements.
Get connected to community-based services, like meals and transportation. Our Dementia Care Program team will work together with you to coordinate clinical and support services.
*Delaware Hospice and Delaware Palliative offer specialized dementia care services for patients under these programs. If eligible, those enrolled in palliative benefits can access the Dementia Care Program benefits under GUIDE alongside their palliative plan of care. To receive the enhanced benefits under our Dementia Care Program, patients must be enrolled in Original Medicare Parts A and B and meet other eligibility requirements. Patients are always free to see any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare.
Care for Children and Teens
Katybug Program. When your child is facing a serious illness, you want expert care delivered with compassion – and a team who understands what your family is going through. The Katybug Pediatric Program is here for you.
Katybug is the only pediatric hospice and palliative care program in Delaware, created specifically to support infants, children, teens and their families during complex and life-limiting illnesses. Whether your child needs comfort-focused care, help managing symptoms, or emotional support, we’ll walk this journey with you – on your terms and with your goals in mind.
You’ll have access to a dedicated team of pediatric specialists, including nurses, social workers and chaplains, who are trained to care for young patients and their families with sensitivity, skill and heart.
With Katybug, you can count on:
- Care at home or wherever your child feels most comfortable
- Support for managing pain and symptoms
- Emotional and spiritual support for the whole family
- Grief support and bereavement counseling for parents, siblings and caregivers
- Guidance through difficult decisions, always focused on what matters most to you
Whether you’re continuing treatment or focusing on comfort, you don’t have to do it alone. Katybug is here to support your child and give your family more precious moments together. A no-cost option for families.
Most major health insurance companies cover the cost of Katybug care. Although these payments can fall short of the actual costs, no family is ever charged for care. We are grateful to our generous donors and volunteers for making Katybug available to our community.
Get Help With Care for Children and Teens
Honoring Those Who Served: Specialized Support for Veterans
Any Veteran with a life-limiting illness is eligible for hospice care. At Delaware Hospice, we understand that military service can shape a person’s physical, emotional, and spiritual journey at the end of life. That’s why we provide care that not only manages symptoms and supports families—but also honors the experiences that shaped our patients’ lives.
Through staff training, tailored care plans, and meaningful tributes, our team ensures Veterans receive the dignity, comfort, and recognition they deserve.
Enhanced Services Through Community Support
Thanks to grants and generous donations from our community, Delaware Hospice is able to offer additional support services exclusively for Veterans, including:
- Veteran-to-Veteran volunteer companionship
- Recognition ceremonies and commemorative materials
- Specialized grief support for families
- Help navigating VA and military benefits
These offerings help foster peace, closure, and connection for Veterans and their loved ones.
A Peaceful Ending, A Grateful Community
As a proud Level 4 Partner of the We Honor Veterans program, Delaware Hospice is deeply committed to meeting the unique needs of those who served our country. You may learn more about the We Honor Veterans initiative and our program below:
