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Hospice & Home Care

Phone:
Hospice
218.249.6100
800.321.3790

Homecare
218.249.6111
800.321.3790

Location:
220 North 6th Ave East, Duluth, MN 55805

Hospice

St. Luke’s Hospice Duluth® provides home care services
that enable most patients to be where they are most
comfortable—in their own home. Home care staff assist
primary caregivers, often a family member or close
personal friend, in caring for their loved one.

Hospitalization

When a patient’s condition temporarily requires more
intensive medical care than can be provided in the home,
special homelike hospice inpatient care is available. Family
members are encouraged to stay with the patient as much
as they desire and to bring favorite meals or personal
belongings to enhance patient comfort.

Bereavement  Follow - Up

Members of the caregiving team continue to work with
the family members following the death of a loved one, to help them cope with their loss. Family and one-on-one counseling is available, as are referrals to outside agencies, when needed.

Hospice / Palliative Caregivers

Because each patient’s needs are different, caregivers work with family members, the patient’s physician and the program’s Medical Director to develop an individualized plan of care and support. The caregiving team includes the following members: Registered Nurses coordinate the overall plan of care and teach the patient and primary caregiver how to give medication and perform other necessary treatments. In addition to making planned visits, nurses are available on-call to patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Home Health Aides/Homemakers provide patients with personal care such as bathing, changing bed linens, hair and mouth care, and assistance with exercise.  Social Workers and Counselors counsel patients and families regarding personal, family and financial concerns and coordinate needed community resources.  Dietitians counsel patients and families regarding special
nutritional needs.

Chaplains work closely with family clergy and provide spiritual counseling and emotional support when needed.  Volunteers assist with a variety of tasks for which they are specially trained, and provide respite for the primary caregiver.

Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists assist as needed to help patients make the most of limited physical abilities.

Other services of St. Luke’s Hospital are also available, as appropriate.

Eligibility

St. Luke’s Hospice Duluth® services are available within 30 miles of St. Luke’s Hospital. Patients are accepted into the program after a physician referral, an assessment by
hospice staff members and identification of a primary caregiver or an available decision-maker, if the patient lives alone.

St. Luke’s Hospice Duluth® provides services to all persons without regard to race, color, national origin, handicap, age, diagnosis or sexual orientation. Services are not denied for
financial reasons.

Insurance Coverage

As a component of St. Luke’s Home Health Services,
Palliative Home Care may be covered by private insurance,
Medicare and Medicaid under home health benefits.
St. Luke’s Hospice Duluth® is licensed in Minnesota and
Wisconsin and federally certified to provide the Hospice
Election program under Medicare hospital insurance
(Part A), medical assistance and private insurances.
These election programs allow greater flexibility of
coverage to assist terminally ill patients whose goal is to
remain at home.

Homecare

Skilled Home Care Services

To qualify for admission, a patient must require
at least one of the following:

  • Skilled nursing care
  • Physical or Speech Therapy

Other Services (for current patients)

  • 24-hour on-call RN consultation
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Medical Social Services
  • Personal care–bathing, dressing, routine exercises and assistance with other activities of daily living
  • Nutritional counseling
  • Lab tests ordered by your physician
  • Coordination with other community resources
  • Assistance with obtaining medical equipment and supplies
  • Frequent communication with your physician
  • Assistance with medical billing and financial issues
  • Direct billing to your HMO, Medicare, Medicaid or commercial insurance
  • Quality care which is Joint Commission accredited,
  • Medicare certified and state licensed in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Accessing our services

St. Luke’s skilled home care services are available to persons living within 30 miles of St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth and Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet. This includes portions of St. Louis, Carlton and Lake Counties in Minnesota and Douglas County in Wisconsin.
A doctor’s order is required for treatment. Ask your doctor if our services could assist you, or call us directly at 218-249-6111 between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.  Payment for many of our services is covered through Medicare, Medicaid, HMOs and private insurance.  If you have concerns about coverage for your care, please contact us for assistance.

Extended Care Services

In our Minnesota service area, we also offer bathing, grooming, meal preparation, errands, grocery shopping or infant/child care services through the Extended Care program. These services are appropriate if you want additional help beyond the home care prescribed by
your doctor.  Reimbursement for extended care is typically paid privately because insurance payers consider this level of care as "non-skilled." For more information about Extended Care services, call our home care number: 218-249-6111.

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