Hospice Care

The mission of Sparrow Hospice Services is to provide physical, emotional, social, and spiritual support to terminally ill patients, as well as their families and loved ones, while assisting patients and families to live with dignity and comfort as they cope with end-of-life issues. Sparrow Hospice Services is a non-profit hospice committed to providing compassionate care to everyone every time, regardless of the level of their insurance or their ability to pay.

At Sparrow Hospice, we believe:

• Hospice affirms life.
• Hospice recognizes dying as a process, and so our care provides comfort rather than cure.
• Hospice neither hastens nor postpones death.
• Hospice helps the terminally ill person maintain their quality of life and helps family members through an extremely stressful time in their lives.

What is Hospice?

Hospice is a philosophy of care that focuses on providing comfort care, not curative treatment. The care provided is designed to help a person with a terminal illness live as well as possible for as long as possible, with the goal of improving quality of life. The hospice philosophy considers your entire family, not just you, as the “unit of care” and support and education are provided to all.

For more detailed information about hospice benefits, please read the Medicare Hospice Benefits PDF.  

Where is Hospice provided?

Our comprehensive approach to hospice offers in-home care to residents in eight counties throughout mid-Michigan, as well as an inpatient residence located in Lansing at Hospice House of Mid-Michigan at E.W. Sparrow Hospital St. Lawrence.

We also provide care in many nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout the Mid-Michigan area. We recognize that family members also need care during these difficult times and we strive to offer them the help they need as well.

Who pays for hospice?

Hospice care is covered 100% by Medicare Part A nationwide, by Medicaid in Michigan, and by most private health insurance policies. Patients and families are encouraged to check with their employer or insurance provider that hospice care is a covered benefit. If the patient resides at a facility (including Hospice House of Mid-Michigan), room & board charges from the facility are not a part of the covered hospice benefit. Those charges are the responsibility of the patient.

When is it time for hospice?

At any time during a life-limiting illness, it is appropriate to discuss all of the patient’s care and treatment options, including hospice. The earlier hospice is involved, the more it can do to make the patient’s final days, weeks, or months as comfortable and satisfying as possible. In order for a patient to be admitted to hospice, two (2) physicians must certify that the patient’s life expectancy six (6) months or less if curative treatment is stopped. The first certification is typically done by the patient’s primary or attending physician, including family physician, oncologist, or other specialist and the second by the admitting/attending hospice physician.

How to get started with Sparrow Hospice Services

A physician referral is required for hospice admission. Patients or families can contact our intake office at 517.364.7200 to begin this process. Physicians can also call this number or fax a referral to 517.364.7054. Our intake office processes admissions for both our home hospice program as well as for the inpatient unit, Hospice House of Mid-Michigan at E.W. Sparrow Hospital St. Lawrence.