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Goodwin Hospice Care: Comprehensive End-of-Life Care

teal colored background with the following words "There is so much life to live, even if you're facing a life-limited illness - that is exactly what hospice is about. Goodwin Hospice provides comfort when you need it most. We are a not-for-profit, Medicare-certified service that provides end-of-life care to individuals 18 and older with terminal illnesses. We deliver hospice home care, along with care in other senior living communities and healthcare facilities throughout the Northern Virginia area. Goodwin Living has been offering this specialized care since 1998.

Goodwin Hospice Medical Director, Dr. Margaret Gloria, spoke to local CBS-affiliate WUSA-9 during hospice month. Dr. Gloria explains the basics of this specialized care as well as the benefits it can offer to patients and their loved ones.

What Is Hospice Care?

How does hospice work? Hospice care is essentially an insurance benefit, though it’s truly so much more than that. It’s an interdisciplinary model of healthcare that’s designed specifically for someone who’s either at or approaching the end of life and who wants to remain comfortable in their home setting. The core benefit includes 24/7 access to nursing and physician services, social work, bereavement, chaplaincy, volunteers, aides, durable medical equipment and medication. Goodwin Hospice also includes additional, complimentary services that go beyond what is covered by insurance, such as massage therapy, a volunteer choir and end-of-life doulas.

While hospice is designed for people with a life expectancy of six months or less, it’s worth exploring as soon as you’re even considering the need for it. That’s because it’s very important to have the conversation as early as possible to share end-of-life plans and desires. There’s often a stigma that hospice signifies “giving up,” but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead, its purpose is to provide meaning and help people accept that they’re facing a life-limiting illness.

When it comes to hospice, here are three things to remember:

Hospice is patient-centered.
Hospice supports not just the patient, but also their loved ones.
Hospice is not a place. It’s a collection of services that come to you.

Our hospice team believes you can live life fully in your final days if you are provided with physical, emotional and spiritual support. Plus, it brings hope — for both patients and their loved ones who are the hospice caregivers. Hospice is not a place, but rather, a philosophy of care, helping patients live out their days where and how they wish. But don’t wait until the very end — studies suggest that being admitted to hospice earlier in the end-of-life process can lead to better experiences. And contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a doctor’s referral before considering hospice and it’s covered by Medicare and most insurance providers. So, when it’s time, Goodwin Hospice is here for you.

Explore the Areas We Serve

Goodwin Hospice serves a range of zip codes across Northern Virginia, including Alexandria, Arlington, Ballston, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Leesburg, Manassas, McLean, Reston and Vienna. Click through the map below or enter your zip code to find out if Goodwin Hospice can serve you.

Zip Code is not serviced.

Goodwin Hospice’s Approach to Hospice Care

Rooted in the belief that every person has the right to die pain-free and with dignity, our approach to hospice integrates medical care with spiritual and other care services to meet your personal needs. We provide pain management and symptom control, personal care, social work services, counseling and spiritual support, and 24/7 on-call nursing support. Our additional services include friendly visitor volunteers, pet companionship, end-of-life doula, massage therapy and visits from Threshold Choir singers. We work as a team with patients and their families during every step of the process.

We put great emphasis on providing high-quality, patient-centered care to our hospice patients and their loved ones. Goodwin Hospice received a 4-star rating from Medicare.gov in their February 2024 quarterly Care Compare Care Quality Report. This rating is the highest in the hospice category in Northern Virginia.

Watch this video to hear the wife of a hospice patient share her personal story about receiving care from Goodwin Hospice.

Goodwin’s Supportive Hospice Care Services

In addition to traditional hospice care services, Goodwin Hospice also provides many additional supportive services for patients and their families. These services include end-of-life doulas, therapeutic massage therapy, visits from Threshold Choir, pet therapy and more. And these services are made possible thanks to the generosity of donors to the Hospice Fund of the Goodwin Living Foundation.

End-of-Life Doulas

When facing the end of life, we might benefit from having someone guide us through the transition. Goodwin Hospice offers end-of-life doulas to those under our care. Specially trained, non-medical professionals, doulas help us cope with death, in the days and months leading up to it, and in the time that follows as loved ones grieve. We can provide this service at no cost, thanks to support from generous donors to our Hospice Fund.

More about our end-of-life doula services

Massage Therapy

Many of us can understand the important of touch. A gentle hug, a hand to hold, whatever form it might take, touch offers connection and comfort. When facing our final days, receiving extra, gentle, loving care can make a world of difference. This is why Goodwin Hospice offers therapeutic massage therapy to those under our care. We work with massage therapists who bring special training to their care. And we provide this service at no cost, thanks to support from generous donors to our Hospice Fund.

More about massage therapy

Threshold Choir

People find power in song. Sometimes it inspires us. Sometimes it comforts us. Sometimes it brings us peace. Believing that song can sooth us in our final transition from life to death, Goodwin Hospice offers visits from Threshold Choir. They are non-profit organization that offers singers to visit people and sing to them in their final moments.

More about Threshold Choir

Hospice Fund

The specialty services that Goodwin Hospice offers above and beyond standard end-of-life care are made possible thanks to the generosity of donors to the Hospice Fund of the Goodwin Living Foundation. We express our profound gratitude to those who donate to make it possible for us to offer additional services that are integral to our care.

More about our Hospice Fund

End-of-Life Doulas
Massage Therapy
Threshold Choir
Hospice Fund

More about our end-of-life doula services

Our Hospice Team

With specialized training and certifications in hospice care, our team of skilled professionals includes the following:

Physicians
Nurse Practitioners
Registered Nurses
Licensed Clinical Social Workers
Spiritual Counselors
Bereavement Counselors
Hospice Aides
Volunteers

Volunteer for Goodwin Hospice

Hospice volunteers provide critical support to patients at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives. As a volunteer for Goodwin Hospice, you can find many fulfilling ways to contribute your skills and talents in support of a hospice patient and their loved ones.

Most Goodwin Hospice volunteers provide companionship to hospice patients by listening to a patient’s life stories, playing music or simply sitting quietly with them. Visits take place in nursing or assisted living facilities and individual homes throughout Northern Virginia.

Goodwin Hospice offers many different opportunities and levels of commitment for volunteers, whatever your talent or time. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with Goodwin Hospice, please submit this online application.

Reach out to us at HospiceVolunteer@GoodwinLiving.org with any questions.

Support Our Hospice Fund

Financial obstacles can prevent someone from seeking and receiving care when they need it most. Thanks to the Goodwin Living Foundation, we are able to remove those obstacles so that our hospice team can provide care and comfort to anyone who needs it. Support from the Goodwin Living Foundation makes it possible for us to say “Yes” when patients and families need care or services. You can join our community of generosity by making a gift today and help us to say “Yes” to individuals in the community regardless of their ability to pay, and we can ensure that we will be with them every step of the way.

Common Questions about Hospice Care

What services does hospice care include?

Hospice services include pain management and symptom control, personal care, social work services, counseling and spiritual support, and 24/7 on-call nursing support. Additionally, Goodwin Hospice offers friendly visitor volunteers, pet companionship, end-of-life doulas, massage therapy and visits from Threshold Choir singers.

How does hospice care work?

Hospice care through hospice companies or hospice agencies offers a team-oriented approach to providing comfort and support to people with terminal illnesses. The focus is on comfort and quality of life, helping patients make the most of their remaining time.

When is hospice recommended?

Typically, hospice is designed for people with a life expectancy of six months or less, but it’s best to start exploring hospice as soon as you’re even considering the need for it.

What is the difference between at-home hospice care vs. a hospice care facility?

With at-home hospice care, patients receive end-of-life care in their own home, surrounded by loved ones. A hospice care facility is a dedicated medical facility where patients can stay to receive end-of-life care in a more structured setting.

Does hospice include 24-hour in-home care?

Hospice care does not typically include 24-hour in-home care, since the day-to-day care falls to the patient’s loved ones. However, there are some circumstances in which 24-hour care may be necessary, such as for pain management.

Does Medicare cover hospice care?

Yes, Goodwin Hospice is covered under Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance plans.

How long will Medicare pay for hospice care?

Hospice care is covered by Medicare for two 90-day benefit periods, followed by an unlimited number of 60-day benefit periods. Each benefit period requires you and your doctor to recertify that you are terminally ill and have a life expectancy of six months or less.

Goodwin Hospice delivers compassionate end-of-life care to patients ages 18 and older in their homes or in care communities, wherever they are most comfortable. If you or someone you know is looking for hospice services, please be in touch.

703.578.7108 Contact Us 4800 Fillmore Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22311

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