Referrals from physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities or other long-term care facilities can be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 410.987.2003 or 1.877.462.1103.  Hospice of the Chesapeake is committed to admitting patients within 24 hours of the referral, and we will do our best to admit them the same day, whenever possible.

Patients to be admitted need to have an attending physician certify that the patient has a terminal diagnosis with a life expectancy of six months or less. It is important to note that Hospice of the Chesapeake is committed to keeping each patient under the care of their own physician. We work diligently to keep the attending physician informed, enabling him or her to effectively make decisions regarding the care of the patient. If the attending physician does not wish to follow the patient for hospice care, one of our medical directors can assume that role for the patient's hospice needs.

Hospice of the Chesapeake does not require a "Do Not Resuscitate" order. Patients with cancer, as well as other end-stage diagnoses, are appropriate for hospice care - about 40 percent of patients have diagnoses other than cancer, such as Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, end-stage neurological diseases and other system failures. General debility is an appropriate diagnosis for hospice patients.

We can best help patients and their families when we are consulted early in the end-of-life process. We are committed to insuring that hospice services complement, not compete with, the services that you or your facility provide. This enables patients and caregivers to benefit from the most comprehensive care possible.

If you are not certain that the patient is appropriate for hospice, please call for a consultation with the admissions department. A registered nurse or a social worker can visit to help determine how needs can best be met. Consultation with the admissions team or a medical director is available to physicians who have difficulty in certifying prognosis, or who would like a hospice staff member to meet with the family and provide more information.

Hospice of the Chesapeake has two eight-bed residential facilities for patients who do not have caregivers available.

Ideally, the staff of the long-term care facilities and assisted living facilities will have discussed the referral with the attending physician or the facility's medical director. Facility patients in non-skilled beds can use the Medicare Hospice Benefit; skilled patients may elect to pay privately.

For information, or a hospice care consultation, please call 410.987.2003 or 1.877.462.1103.   

To complete and submit a clinical referral online, click here.