End of Life Care
1 Hoag Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 764-4624
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End of Life Care
- About
- FAQ
- Comfort Care
- Next Steps
- Children and Grief
- Bereavement Services
Next Steps
On behalf of the entire staff at Hoag, we wish to express our regrets and sympathy for the loss of your loved one. Because this is a painful time and one that is difficult to prepare for, we have compiled a list of resources and information that might be helpful to you during this distressing time.
The first section is to provide you with information about the complex decisions, which you and your family will be faced within the days and weeks to come. The second section will discuss the emotions you and your family may experience as you go through the next steps of coping with your loss.
We understand making decisions can be difficult, so Hoag offers resources to assist you, including support groups, social services and spiritual care. Please feel free to contact social services at 949-764-8585 with any questions or concerns that you may have about your emotional well-being or next steps.
Read about what next steps you should take for preparations and healing in our Next Steps Resource Guide. This guide also includes a list of mortuaries and helpful resources.
Hoag offers comprehensive palliative care, recognizing the challenges families face during end-of-life. We provide guidance to help you understand and respond to symptoms of impending death with compassion and support.
A Resource During Grieving and Loss
At Hoag, the focus is on preventing, treating, reducing or removing discomfort whenever and however it appears through careful attention to pain and symptom management.
The end of life process is unique to each person. We encourage you to use the guidelines on these End of Life pages to understand this process. The hospital staff is here to answer questions, provide support and assist you in any way possible.
Remember to pay attention to your own needs during this difficult time. Get plenty of rest, eat a well-balanced diet and exercise. Be aware of symptoms of stress and fatigue, such as headaches, nausea, heartburn or shortness of breath.
Please feel free to contact Hoag’s Palliative Care Program at 949-764-8585 for further assistance.
FAQs
End of Life Care
End of life care has always been important and for that reason Hoag has a comprehensive palliative care program. The Palliative Care Team provides inpatient and outpatient services to maximize the quality of life for people with serious and life-threatening illnesses. The focus is on preventing, treating, reducing or removing discomfort whenever and however it appears through careful attention to pain and symptom management. Palliative care respectfully addresses well-being and treats physical, emotional, social, spiritual and financial needs. The Hoag program, which is based on national best practices and has emerged as a national leader, has helped thousands of people endure a difficult time.
End of Life Option Act
The request for aid-in-dying is a doctor-patient decision. Participation in activities authorized under the new legislation is voluntary. The legislation allows for organizations and physicians to elect not to participate in dispensing end of life drugs to patients. Hoag and the Hoag Medical Staff have chosen to use palliative care to treat patients with serious and life-threatening illnesses. The focus is on preventing, treating, reducing or removing discomfort whenever and however it appears through careful attention to pain and symptom management. Palliative care respectfully addresses well-being and treats physical, emotional, social, spiritual and financial needs. This means the dispensing of end of life drugs will not take place at a Hoag facility. It is important to note that independent members of Hoag Medical Staff are able to make autonomous decisions regarding their participation in what will be a legal option for their patients; however, those personal decisions are limited while exercising privileges at Hoag.
FAQs
End of life care has always been important at Hoag. The Palliaitve Care Team provides inpatient and outpatient services to maximize the quality of life for people with serious and life-threatening illnesses. The focus is on preventing, treating, reducing or removing discomfort whenever and however it appears through careful attention to pain and symptom management.
More information about our services can be found on our End of Life page.
Palliative care respectfully addresses well-being and treats physical, emotional, social, spiritual and needs. The palliative care program, which is based on national best practices and has emerged as a national leader, has helped thousands of people endure a difficult time.
More information about our services can be found on our Palliative Care page.
Yes. Hoag honors the advance health care directives of our patients, and hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital must follow the health care decisions of a patient’s agent or surrogate. However, Hoag providers may decline to comply with an individual health care instruction or decision for reasons of conscience, or because the care would be medically ineffective or contrary to generally accepted health care standards. If this causes a disagreement with an agent or surrogate that cannot be resolved, the hospital staff and practitioners will make every reasonable effort to find another health care provider to take over your treatment. Advance health care directive forms can be downloaded by clicking here. If you have specific questions about your care, we encourage you to speak directly to your physician.
No. Participation in activities authorized under the new legislation is voluntary. Hoag and the Hoag Medical Staff have chosen to use palliative care to treat patients with serious and life-threatening illnesses. This means the dispensing of end of life drugs will not take place at a Hoag facility. Based on our research, the vast majority of people who would choose this option would want to do so in a home, not a hospital. For that reason, we do not think our decision will have any practical impact on access to this option.
The focus at Hoag is on preventing, treating, reducing or removing discomfort whenever and however it appears through careful attention to pain and symptom management. Palliative care respectfully addresses well-being and treats physical, emotional, social, spiritual and financial needs. More information about our palliative care services can be found on our Palliative Care page.
Hoag now and in the future, will fully inform patients about the full spectrum of options they have available to them in their care. Our advance directives policies are designed to keep our patients’ wishes as the center of all that we do, and honor patients’ desires within the boundaries of current laws.
Comfort Care
The staff at Hoag understand that this may be a difficult time for you and your family. Realizing this, and anticipating the anxiety and fear you may experience while caring for your loved one, we have provided information to help you understand and respond to the symptoms indicative of impending death.
The end of life process is unique to each person. We encourage you to use the guidelines on the End of Life web pages to understand this process, and realize that not all of these described symptoms will appear at the same time, and some may never appear. These symptoms are merely the natural progression of the body as it prepares for the final stage of life. For some individuals, this process could take months, for others, hours or days. The hospital staff is here to answer questions, provide support and assist you in any way possible. You and your family are encouraged to utilize the support services provided by Hoag.
If your loved one has an Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) or Physician Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST), please provide a copy to the medical staff. An AHCD designates a decision maker if your loved one is incapable of understanding a proposed treatment or becomes unable to communicate their wishes regarding care. Hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital shall comply with these directives. All patient’s rights apply to the person who has legal responsibility to make decisions regarding medical care on your behalf. If an AHCD is not available, and your loved one wants life-sustaining procedures to be withheld, the physician can write an order reflecting your loved one’s wishes.
Remember to pay attention to your own needs during this difficult time. Get plenty of rest, eat a well-balanced diet and exercise. Be aware of symptoms of stress and fatigue, such as headaches, nausea, heartburn or shortness of breath.
Please feel free to contact Hoag Palliative Care Program at 949-764-8585 and Hoag Spiritual Care at 949-764-8358 for emotional and spiritual support. We are available to help you during this time of uncertainty.
To learn more, download a brochure on comfort, care and support for end of life.
Children and Grief
When a loved one dies, it can be difficult to know how to help children cope with the loss, particularly as you work through your own grief. How much kids can understand about death depends largely on their age, life experiences, and personality.
Helping a Child Cope with Grief – Learn more about how to help a child cope with death, including some helpful resources.
Bereavement Program
Bereavement Services
The Bereavement Program at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian provides support, education and guidance for people in our community throughout the grieving process. Through sharing similar experiences, group members will give and receive emotional support and have the opportunity to connect with others in the community.
Oncology Bereavement Support Group – A grief support group for participants over the age of 18, supporting those who have lost a loved one to cancer. Registration is required. This group is offered free of charge to the community. For more information, please call 949-722-6237.
Grief Recovery Series – Join us for an 8 week series that provides a safe environment for you to look at your old beliefs about dealing with loss, which losses have affected your life and take actions that will lead you to complete unresolved emotions that may still be causing you pain. Evaluation by group leader is required prior to registration. This group has a small materials fee associated with registration. For more information, please call 949-722-6237.
Hoag At Home Hospice Bereavement Support Groups:
Women’s Grief Support Group: An 8-week grief support group that holds sessions 4 times each year. This group provides some grief education with a focus on mutual grief support and sharing. This group is for women over the age of 18, offering support to those whose loved one has recently died. This group is offered free of charge to the community. For more information, please call Lynn Francis at 949-736-6101. RSVP is required.
Men’s Grief Support Group: A general grief support group for men over the age of 18, offering support to those who have recently lost a loved one. This group is offered free of charge to the community. For more information, please call 949-736-6101. RSVP is required.
LGBTQ Grief Support Group: Offered occassionaly as the need arised. This grief support group is for the LGBTQ community; anyone over the age of 18. This group offers support to those whose loved one has recently died. This group is offered free of charge to the community. For more information, please call Lynn Francis 949-736-6101. RSVP is required.
Please visit our community education page to register for the support group that best matches your needs.
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