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A gift to the Addus Hope Foundation ensures that we can continue to support hospice patients in need, and continue to grant final wishes. The Addus Hope Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our goal is to redefine hope for patients, and their families, by equipping them with the resources to live out their final months with dignity, compassion and respect.

Ways to Get Involved

  • Make a tax-deductible donation
  • In lieu of flowers, ask friends and loved ones to send donations to the Hope Foundation in memory of your loved one.
  • Contact us for specific needs and requests

How Does The Hope Foundation Help?

  • Supports local agencies in providing additional social, emotional and spiritual support to patients and their loved ones
  • Helps provide for final wishes and goals to be possible
  • Arranges hobby related outings for patients and their loved ones
  • Assists in the coordination of final arrangements

An Example of How We Help

A Two-Decade Hug and Goodbye

On admission to hospice, a mom was burdened with a heavy heart. She wasn’t burdened over her own condition, but rather that it had been over 20 years since she had last seen her son. Her son was incarcerated in a federal prison, and this had prevented the two from seeing one another. The mom’s final wish while on our hospice care was to visit, and hug, her son – knowing that this would most likely be their last chance. Thanks to an amazing hospice team, and resources from the Addus Hope Foundation, we were able to make this final wish a reality. Through advocacy and resource brokering, we were able to find support for the entire 5-day trip. The mom was able to spend several days with her son, and give him the hug she had been waiting on for over two decades. Not only did this provide closure and emotional healing for the mom, but also for her son as well.

With your help, we can make more wishes come true!

Non-Discrimination Notice

Addus HealthCare, Inc. and its family of companies complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

Addus HealthCare, Inc. and its family of companies does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.  Addus HealthCare, Inc. and its family of companies:

  • Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as:
    • Qualified sign language interpreters
    • Written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, other formats)
  • Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as:
    • Qualified interpreters
    • Information written in other languages

If you need these services, contact Addus Compliance Officer.  If you believe that Addus HealthCare, Inc. has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance with:

Addus Compliance Officer

Addus HealthCare, Inc.

6303 Cowboys Way, Suite 600

Frisco, TX 75034

Phone: 469-535-8200

You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax, or email.  If you need help filing a grievance, Addus Compliance Officer is available to help you.  You can also file a civil rights complaint wit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf , or by mail or phone at:  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Room 509F, HHH Building Washington, D.C. 20201 1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD) Complaint forms are available at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html.

Notice for Individuals with Limited English Proficiency

Under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Addus HealthCare, Inc. and its family of companies is required to post notices that alert individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) to the availability of language assistance services. The taglines below include the top 15 languages used in the service areas covered by Addus HealthCare, Inc. companies. These languages include: Spanish, Chinese, Serbo-Croatian, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic, German, Tagalog, Russian, French, Japanese, Romanian, Sudan, Persian, Ukrainian, Laotian, Burmese, Hmong, Swahili, Pennsylvanian Dutch, Cushite, Portuguese, Amharic, Thai, Urdu, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, and Yoruba. Translated tagline includes the following information: “Attention: If you speak _________ language, language assistance services are available free of charge to you. Call 1-888-983-5352, code 6350, TTY (800) 855-2880.”

ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-888-983-5352, code 6350 (TTY: (800) 855-2880).

注意:如果您使用繁體中文,您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電1-888-983-5352, code 6350 (TTY: (800) 855-2880).。

CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 1-888-983-5352, 6350 (TTY: (800) 855-2880).

OBAVJEŠTENJE: Ako govorite srpsko-hrvatski, usluge jezičke pomoći dostupne su vam besplatno. Nazovite 1-888-983-5352, code 6350. (TTY- Telefon za osobe sa oštećenim govorom ili sluhom: (800) 855-2880)

주의: 한국어를 사용하시는 경우, 언어 지원 서비스를 무료로 이용하실 수 있습니다. 1-888-983-5352, code 6350  (TTY: (800) 855-2880)번으로 전화해 주십시오.

ملحوظة:  إذا كنت تتحدث اذكر اللغة، فإن خدمات المساعدة اللغوية تتوافر لك بالمجان.  اتصل برقم 1-008-5588-0882  (رقم هاتف الصم والبكم:                           (1-888-983-5352, 6350).

ACHTUNG: Wenn Sie Deutsch sprechen, stehen Ihnen kostenlos sprachliche Hilfsdienstleistungen zur Verfügung. Rufnummer: 1-888-983-5352, code 6350, TTY (800) 855-2880.

PAUNAWA: Kung nagsasalita ka ng Tagalog, maaari kang gumamit ng mga serbisyo ng tulong sa wika nang walang bayad. Tumawag sa 1-888-983-5352, code 6350, (TTY: 800-855-2880).

ВНИМАНИЕ: Если вы говорите на русском языке, то вам доступны бесплатные услуги перевода. Звоните 1-888-983-5352, 6350, (телетайп: 1-800-855-2880).

ATENÇÃO: Se fala português, encontram-se disponíveis serviços linguísticos, grátis. Ligue para 1-888-983-5352, code 6350, (TTY: 800-855-2880).

注意事項:日本語を話される場合、無料の言語支援をご利用いただけます。1-888-983-5352,  code 6350, (TTY: 800-855-2880). まで、お電話にてご連絡ください。

ATENȚIE:  Dacă vorbiți limba română, vă stau la dispoziție servicii de asistență lingvistică, gratuit.  Sunați la 1-888-983-5352, code 6350, (TTY: 800-855-2880).

MAANDO: To a waawi [Adamawa], e woodi ballooji-ma to ekkitaaki wolde caahu. Noddu 1-888-983-5352, code 6350, (TTY: 800-855-2880).

УВАГА!  Якщо ви розмовляєте українською мовою, ви можете звернутися до безкоштовної служби мовної підтримки.  Телефонуйте за номером 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx (телетайп:  1-xxx-xxx-xxxx).

ໂປດ​ຊາບ: ຖ້າ​ວ່າ ທ່ານ​ເວົ້າ​ພາ​ສາ ລາວ, ການ​ບໍ​ລິ​ການ​ຊ່ວຍ​ເຫຼືອ​ດ້ານ​ພາ​ສາ, ໂດຍບໍ່​ເສັຽ​ຄ່າ, ແມ່ນມີ​ພ້ອມໃຫ້​ທ່ານ. ໂທ​ຣ 。1-888-983-5352,  code 6350, (TTY: : 800-855-2880).

သတိျပဳရန္ – အကယ္၍ သင္သည္ ျမန္မာစကား ကို ေျပာပါက၊ ဘာသာစကား အကူအညီ၊ အခမဲ့၊ သင့္အတြက္ စီစဥ္ေဆာင္ရြက္ေပးပါမည္။ ဖုန္းနံပါတ္ 1-888-983-5352, code 6350, (TTY: 800-855-2880). သုိ႔ ေခၚဆိုပါ။

LUS CEEV:  Yog tias koj hais lus Hmoob, cov kev pab txog lus, muaj kev pab dawb rau koj.    Hu rau 1-888-983-5352,  code 6350, (TTY: : 800-855-2880).

توجه: اگر به زبان فارسی گفتگو می کنید، تسهیلات زبانی بصورت رایگان برای شما فراهم می باشد. با                                     1-888-983-5352, code 6350 (TTY: 1-800-855-2880) تماس بگیرید.

KUMBUKA: Ikiwa unazungumza Kiswahili, unaweza kupata, huduma za lugha, bila malipo.  Piga simu 1-888-983-5352, code 6350, (TTY: 800-855-2880).

Wann du [Deitsch (Pennsylvania German / Dutch)] schwetzscht, kannscht du mitaus Koschte ebber gricke, ass dihr helft mit die englisch Schprooch. Ruf selli Nummer uff: Call 1-888-983-5352, code 6350, (TTY: 800-855-2880).

XIYYEEFFANNAA: Afaan dubbattu Oroomiffa, tajaajila gargaarsa afaanii, kanfaltiidhaan ala, ni argama.  Bilbilaa 1-888-983-5352,  code 6350, (TTY: 800-855-2880).

ATENÇÃO:  Se fala português, encontram-se disponíveis serviços linguísticos, grátis.  Ligue para 1-888-983-5352, code 6350, (TTY: 800-855-2880).

ማስታወሻ:  የሚናገሩት ቋንቋ ኣማርኛ ከሆነ የትርጉም እርዳታ ድርጅቶች፣ በነጻ ሊያግዝዎት ተዘጋጀተዋል፡ ወደ ሚከተለው ቁጥር 1-888-983-5352, code 6350, (መስማት ለተሳናቸው: 1-: 800-855-2880).

ប្រយ័ត្ន៖  បើសិនជាអ្នកនិយាយ ភាសាខ្មែរ, សេវាជំនួយផ្នែកភាសា ដោយមិនគិតឈ្នួល គឺអាចមានសំរាប់បំរើអ្នក។  ចូរ ទូរស័ព្ទ 1-888-983-5352, code 6350 (TTY: 800-855-2880)។

เรียน:  ถ้าคุณพูดภาษาไทยคุณสามารถใช้บริการช่วยเหลือทางภาษาได้ฟรี  โทร 1-888-983-5352, code 6350 (TTY: 800-855-2880).

 خبردار: اگر آپ اردو بولتے ہیں، تو آپ کو زبان کی مدد کی خدمات مفت میں دستیاب ہیں ۔ کال کریں 888-983-5352, code 6350 (TTY: 1: 800-855-2880).

ध्यान दें:  यदि आप हिंदी बोलते हैं तो आपके लिए मुफ्त में भाषा सहायता सेवाएं उपलब्ध हैं। 1-888-983-5352, code 6350, (TTY: 800-855-2880).पर कॉल करें।

સુચના: જો તમે ગુજરાતી બોલતા હો, તો નિ:શુલ્ક ભાષા સહાય સેવાઓ તમારા માટે ઉપલબ્ધ છે. ફોન 1-888-983-5352, code 6350, (TTY: 800-855-2880).

লক্ষ্য করুনঃ যদি আপনি বাংলা, কথা বলতে পারেন, তাহলে নিঃখরচায় ভাষা সহায়তা পরিষেবা উপলব্ধ আছে। ফোন করুন ১-888-983-5352,  code 6350, (TTY: ১-800-855-2880)।

AKIYESI: Ti o ba nso ede Yoruba ofe ni iranlowo lori ede wa fun yin o. E pe ero ibanisoro yi 1-888-983-5352, code 6350 (TTY: 800-855-2880).

Best Ways to Fight Loneliness this Holiday Season

“Remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”

-Scott Adams

For many, the holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends during joyous gatherings. However, many seniors and at-risk individuals find themselves with few, if any, family or friends with whom to share the holidays with. In fact, the holidays can be one of the most depressing times of the year for older adults. The holidays can be a reminder of loneliness, especially to those who have lost a loved one who would have otherwise shared in the holidays.

Studies have shown that a lack of productive social and emotional ties can be harmful and even deadly to older adults. Isolation and loneliness are connected to a wide variety of health problems including heart problems, high blood pressure, depressions, compromised immune systems, and dementia; each of which is linked with early death.

During the holiday season, there are many things you can do to assist those around you in need of connection including:

  • Stop by and visit someone without local friends or family.
  • Invite a lonely family member to your holiday event.
  • Provide information for local Meals on Wheels programs that provide nutrition to older adults.
  • Surprise them with a gift or pre-cooked meal for them to enjoy.
  • Search for Senior Assistance programs in your area and find opportunities to help those in need around you.

It’s important to recognize and help those around us that may not be able to enjoy the holidays.

Addus growing to meet trending demand for quality health care at home

Even though our masks are coming off across the country, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still affecting how we work, live, and take care of our health. Those who needed skilled nursing during the pandemic experienced the effects of the pandemic profoundly and gained fresh perspectives on the benefits of health care at home.

The pandemic kept many patients within nursing facilities, hospitals, and other group health care settings where they were at a high risk of virus exposure, isolated from friends and family even as they were living out their final days.

As a result, many patients and their loved ones were driven to seek out different care models that brought the clinicians to them, including in-home care, home health, hospice, and telehealth. Quickly, these patients and families found that getting their care at home not only kept them safer in the pandemic, but also improved their quality of life.

“The home care setting allows families to be more proactively involved in the plan of care,” explains Natalie Benda, Vice President of Business Development for Addus HomeCare, one of the nation’s largest providers of personal home care and support services. “They have more options for different types of providers or services than they might have at a skilled nursing facility.”

Patients are also realizing improved health outcomes, like fewer hospitalizations or emergency room visits thanks to home care providers like Addus.

Addus Vice President of Business Development Philip Cowles stated: “Our goal is to be the trifecta in every state – personal care, home health and hospice – and we are beginning to add house calls in our footprint. This is positioning us to give consumers what they need, and we know it makes a difference.”

Addus strives to keep new patients who have experienced hospitalization out of health care facilities, providing comprehensive care that successfully manages their conditions at home. The organization is also growing to meet consumer demand and serves approximately 45,000 patients through 211 locations across 22 states.

Addus Senior Vice President of Payer Innovations Diane Kumarich believes the future of health care is in the home, and the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend: “People are looking for alternatives,” she commented. “COVID brought a switch of people having to leave their homes for healthcare in the past, but then realizing they could have much of this care come to their doorstep.”

Kumarich added that Addus is not only a leader in providing a seamless continuum of care services for patients and families who wish to stay at home, but the organization is expanding its connections in terms of how care is provided overall to improve access for more patients.

“Addus has good relationships with all of the aging networks that provide meals and other senior support services, we accept almost every payer source, and are even layering in the ability to send out a doctor or nurse practitioner who can help manage patient care at home,” she explains. “This puts Addus in a good position to provide care and support to those home-bound elderly who haven’t been able to access care in the last few years.”

Even Medicare is responding to the consumer demand for home health by expanding personal care benefits to some Medicare Advantage plans. Previously, personal care could only be paid for by long-term care insurance, Medicaid, the Veterans Administration or through private funds.

“Though it is a small handful of plans that currently offer this benefit, it is ever-expanding,” Kumarich stated. “This is indicative of the changing dynamics in health care that involve more and more patients wishing to receive quality care at home.”

To learn more about Addus HomeCare and how to access home health care services, visit addus.com or call 888.233.8746.

Hospice FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I have to do to get hospice care?

Anyone can inquire about hospice services. You can call us (or another hospice that serves your area) and request an evaluation. We will contact your physician to obtain his/her approval to perform a hospice evaluation. You can also call your physician and ask them to contact us directly for a referral. If your loved one lives in an assisted living facility or nursing home, the facility social worker will be able to assist you in requesting a hospice evaluation. If your loved one is hospitalized, you can talk with the hospital discharge planner to request hospice services.

Who makes the decision about entering hospice and choosing the specific hospice agency?

By law, the patient or their designated decision maker has the authority to elect hospice and select the hospice agency. Your physician, hospital discharge planner or facility social worker may make recommendations, but the final decision of which hospice will best serve you and your family is yours.

What does the hospice admission process involve?

The process is really pretty simple and easy. The patient must have a physician’s order authorizing the hospice evaluation. A member of our hospice team will meet with the patient and family to explain the hospice benefit and services provided. A hospice Registered Nurse will perform a physical evaluation and review the patient’s medical records to ensure they meet hospice guidelines. If the evaluation shows that the patient meets hospice guidelines, their physician will give the hospice permission to begin care. The patient or their designated decision maker must also sign a form electing the hospice benefit. The entire process may only take a few hours.

Can I quit hospice?

At any time during hospice care and for any reason, the patient or their designated decision maker can make the decision to leave hospice and resume receiving aggressive treatment. You can also return to hospice at any time as long as you meet the hospice appropriateness criteria and have a physician order for hospice.

If I live longer than six months, are the services cut off?

NO – Because no one can precisely predict an end-of-life timeline and patients often improve (and actually live longer) when receiving hospice care, there is no limit on the length of time patients can be on hospice. They must simply continue to meet the Medicare hospice guidelines for appropriateness.

Should I wait to choose hospice until I am really certain that nothing else can be done?

NO – Making the decision to choose hospice earlier affords the patient and their loved ones adequate time for symptom and pain management and the development of a trusting relationship with their hospice team. Your hospice team has a depth of knowledge and experience with end-of-life matters. They will be there to answer your questions and help you be better prepared for this journey. One of the most common statements people make is, “I wish I had chosen hospice sooner.”

Do I have to have a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order or other advance directives before I enter hospice?

NO – However, by entering hospice the patient is acknowledging that they are giving up on aggressive treatment to prolong life. Our staff will work with the patient and their loved ones to help them understand advanced directives and to make decisions on the type of end of life support they would like.

What is the hospice stance on physician assisted suicide and euthanasia?

Hospice neither prolongs life nor hastens death. Studies have shown that one of the primary reasons patients consider physician assisted suicide is their fear of a painful and difficult death. Our hospice team is skilled in identifying and managing symptoms associated with end of life so that the patient and their loved ones can experience a peaceful and comfortable death.

Can I still use my own doctor?

YES – The patient’s primary physician is part of their hospice team and can be as involved as they would like. We will communicate with your primary care physician on a regular basis. You can continue to see your primary care doctor as needed for your medical care.

What do I do if I need help at night or on the weekend?

We have staff available to make visits 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year long. A hospice nurse will respond to your call for help within minutes to discuss your problem and determine the best action to take.

I live alone. Can I sign up for hospice if I do not have a primary caregiver who lives with me?

YES – You may elect the hospice benefit while living alone. Our staff will work with you to determine your plan for receiving care when you are unable to care for yourself or live alone.

I still want to drive and take a few short trips. Can I be on hospice and do this?

YES – we will support you in living your life to the fullest. We encourage our patients to go out and do what they feel up to, and what brings them joy. We will help you do the things you love for as long as you are able.


Request Care

Hospice Volunteer Application

Hospice Volunteer Application

Please fill out the below application if you are interested in becoming a hospice volunteer, and a member of our team will follow up with you. Thank you!
Hospice Volunteer Application

All volunteer candidates must pass a drug and background check prior to beginning service with our organization.  Our agency will cover the cost of both the drug test and the background check.  

Hospice Volunteer Training

Volunteer Training

The personal satisfaction you experience as a hospice volunteer is incredible and the training needed to prepare you as a volunteer is very manageable. We will work with you during your training to ensure you feel comfortable in your role as a hospice volunteer. Your training will be tailored to prepare you for the type of volunteer service you have selected. We offer training on a variety of days and times to best meet your schedule. If necessary, we can schedule one-on-one or small group training sessions.

Hospice 101 – All volunteers will participate in Introduction to Hospice. This session is approximately four hours in length and teaches volunteers about our agency and what volunteer roles are available. This is the only training required for office based volunteers and those serving in non-direct patient volunteer roles. This training is offered via a mix of classroom discussion and self-study modules.

Bereavement Support – Additional training is provided for volunteers who wish to assist with bereavement support for our survivors. This training involves additional classroom instruction as well as side-by-side mentoring. You will train for approximately two additional hours to be qualified to assist in this important area.

Direct Patient Care – An additional four to six hours of instruction including classroom, self-study and shadowing of hospice staff is required for individuals desiring direct patient contact. We encourage all volunteers to consider this type of service. You will be closely mentored by your Volunteer Coordinator until you feel comfortable in your role.

Ongoing Education – Additional training and support is provided on an on-going basis – at least once each quarter. You are encouraged to participate in all on-going training activities to allow you to meet other volunteers and to facilitate you becoming more skilled in the services you are providing.

Veteran Support – An additional two hours of training is provided for volunteers who will be working with those who served our country. Hospice patients who are military veterans often request volunteers who are also veterans. Our veteran volunteers enjoy spending time with fellow soldiers.

Hospice Volunteer

Be A Hospice Volunteer

Today there are almost 500,000 caring individuals serving as hospice volunteers across the United States. Serving as valued members of the hospice care team, volunteers enhance the patient and family experience by helping meet specific needs. Volunteers give their time and compassion to patients and families dealing with end-of-life care needs as well as assisting with administrative office needs and bereavement support. Ambercare relies on our volunteers to assist us in delivering exceptional end-of-life care.

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Volunteers range in age from teens to senior citizens. Some volunteers come to hospice as part of their high school or college course requirements. Some individuals experienced the benefits of hospice through the loss of a loved one and now want to give back through serving others during this difficult time. Some volunteers have professional skills or specialized expertise, but most are just empathetic people who want to help and serve their community.

Hospice volunteers can dedicate as little or as much time as they wish. Some volunteers donate several hours each week while others commit to a few hours each month. Some hospice volunteers prefer to offer services on an as-needed basis. All volunteers will have the opportunity to schedule a one-on-one discussion with our Volunteer Coordinator to discuss their interests and availability.

All hospice volunteers receive training to ensure that they feel comfortable performing their requested/assigned care activities. You determine the amount of time you can provide, but generally it is between two and six hours of support per patient visit.

  • Being present with the patient to allow their caregiver to rest and/or run errands.
  • Listening to the patient. They may share their concerns, regrets, and/or areas of thankfulness with you. You may have opportunities to encourage the patient to share their life story (and possibly capture a verbal or written summary of this information).
  • Engaging in the patient’s hobbies – perhaps reading to them, listening to music, discussing current events or playing a board or card game.
  • Assisting the patient to make short trips outside, assisting with phone calls and/or letter writing.
  • Visiting with family members/caregivers. These individuals often appreciate the opportunity to talk with someone who understands what they are going through.
  • Visiting pet volunteer if you have a pet that is therapy certified.

Bereavement Support Activities

These activities are typically performed by telephone from the hospice office. Bereavement Support volunteers may provide as little as one hour of service or up to four or more hours of bereavement support.

  • Make monthly follow-up phone calls to survivors to identify any needs or issues.
  • Assist with grief support mail-outs.
  • Assist with grief support meetings.
  • Assist with agency memorial service preparation and participation.

Office Support/Non-Direct Care Support

Bibs created by volunteers

  • Photocopying, filing and/or organizing supplies
  • Assist with mail outs and mail delivery
  • Make “tuck-in” calls to patients prior to each weekend to ensure they have needed medications and supplies.
  • Make craft items (cards, lap blankets, slippers, etc.) for patients
  • Assist patients with yard work, small building and home repair projects

Vigil Support

  • Being in attendance at or near the time of death
  • Comforting the patient and/or their family
  • Knowing who to call and what to do at or near the time of death

Volunteer Wish List

Listed below are a few special service areas where volunteers are particularly needed:

  • Volunteers available Sunday mornings to allow families to attend religious services
  • Volunteers with trained pet therapy animals
  • Hair stylists who can cut hair in the patient’s home
  • Musicians who can play for patients in their home or in facilities
  • Veterans

All volunteer candidates must pass a drug and background check prior to beginning service with our organization.  Our agency will cover the cost of both the drug test and the background check.