Vital Signs - November 2003

Nathan Adelson Hospice

25 Years of Care and Compassion

Nathan Adelson Hospice, Southern Nevada’s only non-profit hospice, is marking its 25th anniversary of providing care and compassion to more than 30,000 terminally ill patients and their families. With innovative programming, Nathan Adelson Hospice has become a model for other hospice programs throughout the country. It operates two in-patient facilities in Las Vegas, as well as extensive home care programs and services extending out to Pahrump. It was the first hospice in Nevada and the third in the United States.

Founded in 1978 by family and friends of Nathan Adelson as a memorial to the philanthropist and business leader who was ravaged by cancer, Nathan Adelson Hospice has persevered in making palliative care – aggressive comfort measures – available to all persons who no longer can benefit from curative treatment.

Nathan Adelson Hospice provides support and care during the last phases of incurable disease, so people may live as fully and comfortably as possible through pain and symptom management at home or in one of its home-like in-patient facilities. Patients direct their own care and are surrounded by the people and things they love.

The specialized hospice team includes physicians, nurses, counselors, therapists, social workers, nursing assistants and volunteers who provide medical care as well as support services to all involved: patients, family and caregivers.

Patients and their families are considered as a unit when providing care. Families are included in the decision-making process and receive bereavement counseling after their loved one’s death. With that in mind, Nathan Adelson Hospice built the Walter L. Schwartz Center for Compassionate Care to meet the needs of family members, friends and the community with a variety of innovative programs. The center is composed of three units:

The Compassionate Care Counseling Center provides individual, couples, family and group counseling on loss, depression, relationships, adjustment, divorce and illness. Counselors also help businesses with staff following death, illness, downsizing or traumatic events and offer consultation and training in management skills.

The Palliative Care Institute provides services for other patients in the community, such as those struggling with pain and/or symptoms related to chronic conditions. Programs include: counseling and support for children who are dying in hospitals, their families and hospital personnel; a weekend camp for children who experience the death of a family member, classmate, friend or other significant person; a program where children express their feelings through art; free counseling services for breast cancer survivors and their families; and pediatric services and supplies for terminal children, whether at home or in the hospital.

The National Center for Training, Research and Development seeks to improve care for the terminally ill and bereaved, and to designate Nathan Adelson Hospice as a "Center of Excellence", both locally and nationally.

Hospice care is a covered benefit under most private insurance plans, including HMOs and other managed care organizations, as well as Medicare and Medicaid. Nevertheless, last year Nathan Adelson Hospice underwrote $1 million in uncompensated care. Most of the time, hospice care is less expensive than conventional care, according to research.

Nathan Adelson Hospice is proud of its 25 years of accomplishment in helping the terminally ill and their families. To celebrate its anniversary, the hospice is planning an event on November 15, including a champagne reception, dinner with wine pairings by some of the community’s premier chefs, dancing and entertainment at Cili Restaurant at the Bali Hai Golf Club. The "Step Up To The Plate" project will be unveiled, featuring the artistic talents of local and national celebrities, political figures and local artists who have created beautiful ceramic platters for the evening’s silent auction.