We saw the following as unmet needs to be addressed in a new hospice program:

· Hospice care for inner-city communities, especially under-resourced individuals and families.

· Improved access to hospice care in general; education and care across economic and social spectrums; particularly for those who do not understand the concept and benefit of hospice care.

· A highly flexible approach to care that could meet the needs of individuals and families with a wide variety of challenges beyond the hospice specific illness.

· Increased use and understanding of hospice care within the community of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

· Full support of spiritual care for hospice staff, participants, and families.

 

Meeting the Need

Friends Hospice was created to meet these needs. We have created a program that is designed to serve anyone in need. This includes people usually considered difficult or undesirable by most hospice agencies, such as the uninsured, the homeless, those with mental or physical disabilities, and those without caregivers. Our systems are designed to make the admission and care of these individuals as routine as any other hospice participant.

In addition, we have worked to create collaborative relationships with organizations that have extensive experience in our target communities. These relationships are important in educating the community as well as providing care.

 

 

 

 

 

Friends Hospice Project of Philadelphia is a 501c3 organization. Gifts and contributions are tax deductible. 

 

If you wish to donate through the United Way of SEPA our agency number is 16192. 

The official registration and financial information of Friends Hospice Project of Philadelphia may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free within PA,
1-800-732-0999.  Registration does not imply endorsement.

Susquehanna Day - 2007

Our Mission

Friends Hospice

706 West Girard Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19123-1313

 

Phone: 215-925-6848

Fax: 215-925-6846

E-mail: info@friendshospice.org

To contact us:

Friends Hospice

affirming the individual journey

Our Vision

We envision that our work, services, and operations will be grounded in Quaker life and testimonies.

We will provide high-quality care, including the most up-to-date hospice care and alternate therapies, to all who need our services.

We will offer an extensive, ongoing educational program designed to increase the understanding and use of hospice care in the underserved and Friends communities.

We will carry out each aspect of this service with an openness to the spirituality of ordinary and daily acts. We will respect and nurture the spirituality of hospice staff, participants, and families.

Mission Statement

Affirming the inherent worth and unique journeys of those nearing death and those who care for them, we offer spiritually-grounded, compassionate end-of-life care to the under-served people of Philadelphia.

 

 

The Unmet Need

Hospice care provides a framework to improve the quality of life for individuals with terminal illness, their families and other caregivers. The benefits of hospice services are well documented. Despite this the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization estimates that only 40% of those eligible for hospice care are receiving hospice services.

Individuals in the inner city are even less likely to receive hospice services. Utilization rates studied in a major eastern city were more than a third lower than the national average.