Who is Eligible for Hospice Care?
Anyone whom a physician determines to have a life-limiting illness with a life expectancy of six months or less. These include, but are not limited to, cancer, end-stage dementia/Alzheimer’s, heart, lung, and kidney diseases, and Parkinson’s disease.
Hospice care is provided for as long as necessary for those who meet the eligibility criteria.
Who Pays for Hospice Care?
Hospice care is available to all patients regardless of their ability to pay. Patients and families are never billed for services.
Medicare, Medi-Cal and most private health insurance policies have a hospice benefit.
The uninsured are served through funds generated by Snowline Hospice thrift stores located in El Dorado County and Folsom, as well as private donations.
Patient & Caregiver Handbook
Caring for Your Loved One at Home
How to Refer
Referrals – Community
Anyone can refer a patient to Snowline. If you know a person who is seriously ill and needs support, or you know someone who you think may be ready for hospice care, call Snowline at:
Snowline will arrange an initial evaluation. If the person is eligible for Supportive Care or is hospice-appropriate, Snowline will assist in obtaining a physician’s orders to begin comfort care.
Referrals – Medical Professionals
If your patient is seriously ill and needs supportive care at home, please call 530-621-7820 or 916-817-2338.
To refer a patient for hospice services, please complete the Request for Hospice Orders and fax the completed form with supporting documentation to the Referral Office at Snowline:
Patient Request For Hospice
Fax number: 530-622-7032 or 916-480-9283
Email: snowlinereferrals@snowlinehospice.org
We will contact the patient or the patient’s family as soon as we receive your referral. For more information, please contact Snowline: 530-621-7820 or 916-817-2338
Spiritual Care
Spiritual Care Services / Contributes to Quality of Life
Spirituality can give meaning to life. It refers to the universal human need for love, hope, value, and dignity and may or may not involve religious beliefs and practices. Spirituality involves how we make sense of the world, including how we connect to ourselves, each other, and our universe.
Snowline respects all spiritual traditions. Together with patients and families, Snowline spiritual care providers create a spiritual-care plan to address concerns and beliefs. If faith community involvement is desired and not already provided, the spiritual care provider can make arrangements and coordinate care.
Fear, anxiety, despair, and even physical pain diminish when one feels heard and accepted in the process of coming to terms or coping with terminal illness. Each Snowline counselor creates safe environments where exploring concerns and expressing feelings can be shared without judgment. For those who prefer not to verbalize their thoughts or feelings, a caring presence can facilitate moments of prayer and meditation.
Spiritual Care Providers Can Provide:
- Non-judgmental listening
- Coordination of spiritual care with community clergy
- Spiritual counseling
- Discovery of hope and meaning
- Exploring beliefs of an afterlife
- Reconciling life choices
- Examining loving relationships
- Music
- Family support
- Fellowship and spiritual conversation
- Prayer and meditation
- Religious rituals, such as communion, confession, and/or scripture
- Funeral or memorial services
Spiritual care is not limited to the patient. Spiritual care is available for the patient’s family, as desired. All persons have spiritual concerns when facing death. The hospice chaplain may, through engagement, help hospice patients explore their belief stance, personalize it and use it creatively to cope with living and dying.
Spiritual Care Services / Tools for Faith-Based Communities
Snowline provides congregations with information about hospice care, including:
- Admission standards
- The interdisciplinary team
- What spiritual care providers do
- How chaplains compliment your clergy
- Comfort care vs. curative care
- Length of stay
- DNRs
- DPAHCs
- What hospice does at end-of-life
- Religious views and medical treatment
- Hospice grief support
- hospice reimbursement, and more.
Hospice 101 Presentations
- Presentations about DNRs, Advanced Directives, and “Five Wishes.”
- Grief Workshops
Spiritual Care Services / Frequently Asked Questions
A Snowline Spiritual Care visit reminds you and your care team that you are a whole person and that your entire being – physical, spiritual, emotional and psychological – is worthy of being healthy and well.
Focusing on spiritual health may not cure an illness but may help you and your family feel better, prevent illness and increase your ability to cope. Snowline Spiritual Care visits can help you express emotions, reframe your perspective and leave you feeling inspired to try new coping skills.
Snowline Spiritual Care providers are trained to assist and care for people of many faith traditions. They do not replace lay or ordained ministers of a person’s faith tradition but are available to coordinate and complement spiritual care that is provided by one’s own faith community if that is the desire. Snowline Spiritual Care providers can lend a non-judgmental ear no matter the choice or circumstances. The spiritual care providers also directly communicate the patient’s concerns with the Snowline interdisciplinary team.
Snowline recommends a relationship with a spiritual care provider to deal with any spiritual or existential needs or concerns. Typically, visits occur two times per month. The frequency of visits is up to the patients, their families, and caregivers. Of course, the patient may decline to have visits, or stop them at any time.
Snowline cares for people of all faiths, including those who do not subscribe to any particular religion or faith system. Snowline’s care is holistic, meaning it encompasses each individual’s medical, social, psychological and spiritual well-being. Snowline Spiritual Care policy includes spiritual awareness and support for patients, their caregivers, the Snowline staff, and volunteers.
During an initial visit, the Snowline Spiritual Care provider will gather information for a spiritual assessment. Based on that initial visit, a spiritual care plan will be developed within the patient’s overall care plan. The spiritual plan will guide the interventions for succeeding visits. The interventions will be what the patient and/or family desire from the visits. See Snowline Spiritual Care Contributes to Quality of Life.
Snowline Spiritual Care is an essential element of the interdisciplinary care plan. As people approach life’s end, they often reflect on their lives and try to sort out its meaning and purpose. This spiritual reflection can aid a person’s overall well-being. Snowline was founded on the belief that, even when a cure is no longer possible, there is still an opportunity for quality of life, comfort, dignity, and hope. Snowline Spiritual Care can offer those opportunities.
Snowline Spiritual Care providers want to partner with the clergy of our patients. Contact with the clergy can be initiated by the patient or family or the Snowline Spiritual Care provider. Snowline Spiritual Care providers will not contact a clergy person without the patient’s permission or power of attorney.
Yes. Snowline Spiritual Care providers can provide funeral or memorial services sensitive to the patient’s and family’s beliefs and wishes.
One’s spirituality is based on whatever gives personal meaning. The Snowline Spiritual Care provider helps and supports people hoping to find or strengthen those things that provide meaning. Snowline Spiritual Care providers are typically referred to by their first names. A more formal address certainly may be used if that is more comfortable.
Not exactly. The clergy are trained in pastoral care but are not necessarily trained to meet the spiritual needs of other faith traditions. Snowline Spiritual Care providers are trained to talk to people of many faith backgrounds and those with no faith community connection. Snowline Spiritual Care providers have post-graduate professional degrees at accredited seminaries. Our per diem chaplains have at least a graduate degree.
No. Snowline Spiritual Care providers provide spiritual care for your present situation and will not try to connect you with a place of worship unless you request that we do so.
While that is certainly an option, a Snowline Spiritual Care provider will be better able to meet a patient’s spiritual needs if they know the patient beforehand. This is done through regular visits. Also, regular visits can address some issues before they reach a crisis stage.
We Honor Veterans
Snowline is a proud We Honor Veterans Program member and has attained its Level 5 status as a veteran provider. By partnering with the Department of Veteran Affairs and its resources, Snowline is in a unique position to compassionately provide the care and support that properly reflects our nation’s deep appreciation for service to our country.
Snowline’s Approach to Helping Veterans
- SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS: Snowline has developed specialized programs that address physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of care while acknowledging the specific experiences and challenges veterans may have faced during their service.
- VETERAN VOLUNTEERS: Snowline has dedicated veteran volunteers that spend time with veteran patients, offering companionship, sharing stories, and engaging in activities of interest to veterans.
- PTSD & TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE: Snowline receives specialized training to provide trauma-informed care to veterans, ensuring a safe and understanding environment for their end-of-life journey.
- ASSISTANCE WITH BENEFITS: Snowline assists veteran patients and their families in navigating and accessing available benefits through the VA, which include healthcare, financial assistance, or other support services.
- FAMILY SUPPORT: Snowline supports the families of veterans, recognizing that they may have their unique challenges and needs related to the veteran’s service and end-of-life care.
- COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Snowline actively engages with the local veteran community through Vet-to-Vet Cafés, pinning ceremonies, events, and outreach programs.