FAQs

Hospice care supports anyone who has an advanced illness during the last six months of life and their families. Care includes medical treatment, integrative services and support services (emotional, spiritual and bereavement counseling, social and volunteer support, caregiver training, assistance with care planning, more).

Palliative care supports anyone who has a serious illness during any time of the illness and their families. Care includes medical treatment, emotional, spiritual and social support and assistance with care planning and coordination with other providers.

No. We help people with any type of advanced or serious illness with support through hospice and palliative care. We also provide support for families, caregivers and people who are grieving.

No. We are a nonprofit community hospice that serves people of all faiths and backgrounds.

We provide care and support to all ages from infants to the elderly. This includes support for families who experience a stillborn birth or death of a newborn baby.

We offer hospice and palliative care to bring physical, emotional and spiritual comfort to people with advanced and serious illnesses, caregiver support, support for children and families, grief support groups and counseling, resources and more.

Our care teams may include hospice and palliative medicine board-certified doctors, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed counselors and social workers, spiritual care coordinators, home health aides, durable medical equipment and pharmacy technicians, trained volunteers and others.

Yes. Patients may keep their personal doctors while in our care. And for those with Medicare hospice benefits, our doctors can make house calls when personal doctors cannot.

No. Our care teams work together with patients and their families, doctors and other healthcare providers. Our care teams are guided by what is most important to patients and families and the decisions they make.

We care for patients wherever they call home or are being cared for – their homes, hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Families and caregivers may receive support to help cope with the impact of their loved one’s illness and grief. Our support includes emotional and spiritual counseling, caregiver coffee break support groups, hands-on care training, assistance with end-of-life planning, lending libraries, bereavement counseling and support groups, and more.

Anyone who is grieving may receive support from us any time, even if the person who died was not in our care. Our support includes counseling, support groups, check-in phone calls/visits and information.

Services are paid for with Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, private health insurance, personal payments, grant funding and financial support from our community.

It is never too soon to call us for help with a serious or advanced illness, caregiving or grief. With one phone call, we can explore your situation and needs and, if appropriate, schedule someone to come out for an at-home evaluation to determine which Suncoast Hospice or Empath Health services would be best for you. Please call us at (813) 651-7300 or submit our online form here.

We welcome the opportunity to speak with you and your patient about Suncoast Hospice and all Empath Health service options. Simply fill out the online form or call us at (813) 651-7300.