New company helps patients, family navigate end-of-life care
GAYLORD — Compassus, a national company in post-acute care, has recently opened a new office in Gaylord at 1723 W. M-32.
Darla Ames serves as the director of clinical services. Compassus is a for-profit firm based in a Nashville suburb.
"We help people at the end of their life and we help them come to terms with it. We make sure that when someone is ready to pass, they do it with dignity," Ames said. "We focus a lot on veterans because we want to honor them for their service."
Ames said Compassus finds out what the person who is nearing the end of their life wants before passing.
"We have a social worker who will take the time to make sure all the legal matters are taken care of — that a durable power of attorney is in place, that a do-not-resuscitate or DNR order is in place," she said.
A very important decision facing those who are dying and their families is where will the person spend their final days.
"If a patient is coming out of the hospital with a horrible diagnosis and they don't have long to live, it is up to them where they want to go. If they choose to go home, we make that possible by bringing in the equipment they will need like a hospital bed and by training the family to take care of their loved one appropriately. Depending on needs, we may be there every single day," Ames said.
If there isn't family available to coordinate care, patients may have to go to an assisted living facility.
"We help the patient obtain Medicaid to pay for that by helping them submit the paperwork and obtain the financing they need," Ames said.
Ames added that Compassus can arrange for a temporary break for caregivers by placing the patient in a facility for a brief period like five days.
The company doesn't operate a hospice house. Ames said she has noticed the recent closing of McLaren-operated hospice facilities in Cheboygan and Petoskey.
"Having both hospices close is very sad because sometimes people have no choice but to go to a hospice. I am hoping someone else can come in and open them back up," she said.
Compassus is compensated for its service by Medicare.
"Medicare will take care of hospice benefits. The only thing they don't take care of is room and board in a facility. That's where Medicaid comes in and that's why we work with you to obtain Medicaid," Ames said.
Medicare is federal health insurance for anyone 65 and older, and some people under 65 with certain disabilities or conditions. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that gives health coverage to some people with limited income and resources, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Subscribe Check out our latest offers and read the local news that matters to you
Ames said in some cases, the end of a life is tougher for the family to deal with than the patient.
"It is not so much the patient as it is the family. You need to help them accept what is happening and we provide them with the knowledge to do that," she said.
"A lot of times the patient has come to accept that they have cancer and they no longer want chemotherapy treatments," Ames added. "Families can have a hard time accepting that decision as they wonder why the patient doesn't want to fight anymore. For the patient, they are exhausted and they don't want to continue the battle."
— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Company helps navigate end-of-life care in Gaylord area
