"We are honored to serve our community and celebrate National Hospice and Palliative Care Month," Monica Couch, Vice President and Chief Hospice Officer at Bluegrass Care Navigators, said. “Our mission is to provide compassionate and patient-centered care to those facing life-limiting illnesses. We recognize that it's not only the patients who require our support but also their families and caregivers. Grief care, integrative medicine, and advanced directives play a vital role in our approach to ensure that the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of everyone involved are met."

For more than 45 years, Bluegrass Hospice Care has helped provide interdisciplinary, supportive care to thousands of people, allowing them to spend their final months surrounded by their loved ones wherever they call home. Our team of doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, chaplains, personal care aides and volunteers work with the patients and caregivers to craft individualized plans of care. These plans ensure that pain and symptom management, therapies and treatments all center on the goals and wishes of the patient and their loved ones. Bluegrass Hospice Care also helps family members become confident caregivers and navigate their grief journey with bereavement services for up to a year.

Bluegrass Palliative Care is a consultative service for home-limited patients who suffer from an advanced illness. Our team of experts works with patients and their physicians to understand the patient’s goals. Together, they develop a long-term plan to manage the symptoms that often accompany illness or aggressive treatment to improve quality of life for patients and caregivers. BCN offers palliative care in hospitals, nursing homes and in-home settings.

“The most important thing I got from Bluegrass Care Navigators was their commitment to excellence,” Lynne Keller, a patient’s wife, said. “I never felt like I was one of a whole bunch of people. I felt like they put us first and no matter what the need was, Bluegrass Care Navigators found a way to help and to meet our needs.”

Bluegrass Care Navigators also offers assistance to complete advanced directives, including a living will, healthcare surrogate and medical instructions for care for those patients unable to speak for themselves. These documents help communicate a patient’s medical, personal, emotional and spiritual wishes and allow them to give the gift of security and love to their family.

“National Hospice and Palliative Care Month provides an opportunity for patients, providers, and community members alike to engage in advance care planning and other important discussions about the care they wish to receive when facing a serious illness before the time of crisis,” said Ben Marcantonio, COO and interim CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). “We believe everyone deserves a good death, and the way to get there is through courageous conversations.”

For more information about hospice, palliative care, and advance care planning, call 855.492.0812 or visit our website at bgcarenav.org.