No.  When treatment options for a disease have been exhausted or no longer work, hospice provides a way for people to live in comfort, peace, and dignity without curative treatment.

Medicare patients can receive both if they’ve met the home health criteria.

A Snowline Spiritual Care visit reminds you and your care team that you are a whole person and that your entire being – physical, spiritual, emotional and psychological – is worthy of being healthy and well.
Focusing on spiritual health may not cure an illness but may help you and your family feel better, prevent illness and increase your ability to cope. Snowline Spiritual Care visits can help you express emotions, reframe your perspective and leave you feeling inspired to try new coping skills.

Snowline Spiritual Care providers are trained to assist and care for people of many faith traditions. They do not replace lay or ordained ministers of a person’s faith tradition but are available to coordinate and complement spiritual care that is provided by one’s own faith community if that is the desire. Snowline Spiritual Care providers can lend a non-judgmental ear no matter the choice or circumstances. The spiritual care providers also directly communicate the patient’s concerns with the Snowline interdisciplinary team.

Snowline recommends a relationship with a spiritual care provider to deal with any spiritual or existential needs or concerns. Typically, visits occur two times per month. The frequency of visits is up to the patients, their families, and caregivers. Of course, the patient may decline to have visits, or stop them at any time.

Snowline cares for people of all faiths, including those who do not subscribe to any particular religion or faith system. Snowline’s care is holistic, meaning it encompasses each individual’s medical, social, psychological and spiritual well-being. Snowline Spiritual Care policy includes spiritual awareness and support for patients, their caregivers, the Snowline staff, and volunteers.

During an initial visit, the Snowline Spiritual Care provider will gather information for a spiritual assessment. Based on that initial visit, a spiritual care plan will be developed within the patient’s overall care plan. The spiritual plan will guide the interventions for succeeding visits. The interventions will be what the patient and/or family desire from the visits. See Snowline Spiritual Care Contributes to Quality of Life.

Snowline Spiritual Care is an essential element of the interdisciplinary care plan. As people approach life’s end, they often reflect on their lives and try to sort out its meaning and purpose. This spiritual reflection can aid a person’s overall well-being. Snowline was founded on the belief that, even when a cure is no longer possible, there is still an opportunity for quality of life, comfort, dignity, and hope. Snowline Spiritual Care can offer those opportunities.

Snowline Spiritual Care providers want to partner with the clergy of our patients. Contact with the clergy can be initiated by the patient or family or the Snowline Spiritual Care provider. Snowline Spiritual Care providers will not contact a clergy person without the patient’s permission or power of attorney.

Yes. Snowline Spiritual Care providers can provide funeral or memorial services sensitive to the patient’s and family’s beliefs and wishes.

One’s spirituality is based on whatever gives personal meaning. The Snowline Spiritual Care provider helps and supports people hoping to find or strengthen those things that provide meaning. Snowline Spiritual Care providers are typically referred to by their first names. A more formal address certainly may be used if that is more comfortable.

Not exactly. The clergy are trained in pastoral care but are not necessarily trained to meet the spiritual needs of other faith traditions. Snowline Spiritual Care providers are trained to talk to people of many faith backgrounds and those with no faith community connection. Snowline Spiritual Care providers have post-graduate professional degrees at accredited seminaries. Our per diem chaplains have at least a graduate degree.

No. Snowline Spiritual Care providers provide spiritual care for your present situation and will not try to connect you with a place of worship unless you request that we do so.

While that is certainly an option, a Snowline Spiritual Care provider will be better able to meet a patient’s spiritual needs if they know the patient beforehand. This is done through regular visits. Also, regular visits can address some issues before they reach a crisis stage.