With its comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach Hospice means many things to many people. From excellent clinical care to invaluable psychosocial care to timely spiritual care to much-needed bereavement counseling, patient survey after patient survey confirms that Hospice's compassionate professionals continue to provide the gold standard in end-of-life care. In 2005, 532 families benefited from Hospice services. With an increased emphasis on the admissions and referral processes, and with a redoubled effort to make Hospice available to everyone in Oneida, Herkimer and eastern Madison Counties who wants and needs the service, in 2006 we admitted and served over 30% more patients than in 2005.

Current reimbursement formulas by governmental and private insurers do not fully cover Hospice's costs of services. Your gift, or a portion thereof, may be used to help cover the cost of providing our services at the level that meets the needs and expectations of the communities we serve. You do, of course, have the option of designating a specific purpose for your gift. (See "Major Gift Options" for some suggestions.)

In February of 2005, Hospice embarked upon a whole new level care with the opening of the 4-bed residential Siegenthaler Center. The Siegenthaler Center complements the care already provided by Hospice to patients in their homes, in Developmental Disabilities Services Office homes, compassion homes, in hospitals and in nursing homes. Wherever the provision of care is most appropriate for individual circumstances, Hospice is able to respond to that option.

Established through generous community support of a campaign spearheaded by philanthropist Dean Siegenthaler and others, the Center is named in memory of Dean's wife, Jackie. The homelike, comfortable environment of the Siegenthaler includes four private suites, a bright and cheerful family room, a kitchen, a meditation room and a peaceful, outdoor courtyard.

The unique services provided in the Siegenthaler Center include 24 hour nursing care, medication management, meals and oversight of care by a physician certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. The entire interdisciplinary team and the support of trained Hospice volunteers ensure that care and companionship are always available.

Currently, Medicare does not pay for room and board in a Hospice residence. Hospice works with each family to identify means by which to pay for this service. As with other Hospice services, however, funding shortfalls do arise, and philanthropic funding may be used to close the gap.

Grief and bereavement counseling are an integral part of hospice care. In fact, Medicare's Conditions of Participation require Hospice to provide these services to families whose loved one utilized hospice services, in spite of the fact that Medicare provides no direct reimbursement for them. Consequently, donations to Hospice may also be used to provide this vital service to support individual/family counseling bereavement groups for children, teens and adults as well as memorial services, bereavement mailings, workshops, etc.

The Community Support Center is staffed by compassionate, experienced licensed social workers who provide support to help adults, children and families to deal with life changes such as illness, caregiver stress or the loss of a loved one.

Though our Hospice is not required to provide bereavement support to families that have not used Hospice services, it is our commitment to the community to provide these valuable services through the Community Support Center for all who need them.

Among the services provided:

• In-home counseling for seniors over 65
• Office counseling
• "What About Me?" Grief Within the Classroom, a program to held school children deal with a multitude of loss issues