We’re the leaders in compassionate and quality hospice care.
About Hospice care
Tufts Medicine Care at Home provides comfort care and palliative services to patients facing life-limiting illnesses.
Whether patients are at home, in a hospital, a long-term care facility, an assisted living facility, or at High Pointe House, our expert staff offer physical, spiritual and emotional care specific to those nearing the end of life. Bereavement support and counseling are also offered to families and loved ones.
Hospice care is provided by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of board certified hospice and palliative care physicians and nurse practitioners, nurses, therapists, counselors, chaplains, hospice aides, and volunteers. Together, they provide the highest quality of care with compassion and commitment to patients and families.
Providing the highest quality care to patients and families.
Tufts Medicine Care at Home is licensed in Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Approved provider by Medicare, Medicaid, and most insurance companies
Hospice care is provided by a multi-disciplinary team
Nursing care is provided by registered nurses who act as the patient’s care manager. Nurses make regular visits to the patient’s home to monitor the patient and provide expert pain and symptom management and support. The hospice medical directors also follow each patient’s care closely and are available for consultation and home visits.
Hospice aides provide assistance with personal care such as dressing, bathing and can also provide light meal preparation. All services are provided by trained or certified aides with additional training in hospice care.
Social work services are available to assist the entire family with the day-to-day concerns that often come up when a patient is facing a life-limiting illness.
Emotional and spiritual support is provided by chaplains who offer multi-denominational support to patients and families and often act as a liaison to the patient’s own religious community.
Bereavement support includes counseling and support services totally focused on the needs of the patient, family and loved ones. Bereavement services are available for 24 months following the loss. Services can include one-on-one and group counseling, as well as community-based support groups for people of all ages. Memorial services are provided in nursing homes, assisted living and other facilities for staff and other residents who are grieving a loss.
Expressive therapy services include music, texture, art, sand therapy, massage, journaling, and Reiki. Legacy projects are available and offer patients the opportunity to leave a special remembrance to families and loved ones.
America’s veterans have done everything asked of them in their mission to serve our country and we believe it’s never too late to give them a hero’s welcome home. It’s an honor to serve these men and women with the dignity they deserve; it’s our way of saying thank you for the sacrifices they have made in serving us.
High Pointe House, the hospice and palliative care residence of Tufts Medicine Care at Home, is located in Haverhill MA. It is a licensed, acute care hospice residence that provides a home-like alternative to hospitalization for patients in need of specialized end-of-life care.
As a nonprofit organization, our agencies rely on the generosity and support of supporters and volunteers to make care and services available to all patients and their families.
At the start of home care services, a registered nurse will come to the home to evaluate the patient’s medical care needs. The nurse will then design a treatment plan based on the evaluation and medical orders from the patient’s physician.
Committed and honored to care Ron and Penelope (Penny) Verow laugh often as they share stories of the life they’ve enjoyed together and spoken glowingly of their two daughters and […]
At age 60, David Townsend waited patiently, hopeful that a heart transplant would give him more time – quality time to share with his wife, his children, and the grandchildren […]
At just 49 years old, Daniel “Dan” Riley was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Although the diagnosis forced Dan to leave his job in the interior design field, Dan functioned […]
I chose how I wanted to Live For Barry, turning to a hospice meant enjoying the scones his wife baked, joining his friends on walks through the neighborhood on his […]
Hospice is a type of compassionate care for patients whose illness is no longer responding to treatment and who have no hope for a cure. Hospice care is designed to improve the quality of the patient’s life by providing comfort care and personalized service including:
Expert medical care
Comprehensive pain management
Emotional and spiritual support
Additionally, support is provided to the patient’s family throughout the illness and for at least one year beyond.
At the center of hospice is the belief that each of us has the right to die pain-free and with dignity, and that our families will receive the necessary support to allow us to do so. The focus is on caring, not curing.
While on hospice care can I still use my regular doctor?
Yes. We encourage you to continue using your primary physician. The care team of Merrimack Valley Hospice will communicate with your physician while you are receiving services.
My mother is in a nursing home. Can she still receive hospice care?
Yes. Tufts Medicine Care at Home is committed to caring for patients nearing end-of-life whatever setting is currently called “home.” Private homes, nursing homes, assisted livings, or hospitals are all sites where hospice care can be provided.
Can a hospice patient who shows signs of getting better be returned to active treatment?
Yes. If the patient’s condition improves and the patient seems to be recuperating, patients can be discharged from hospice and return to aggressive therapy or even normal living. If the patient needs hospice care at a later date, the patient could be re-admitted to hospice.
Does hospice do anything to make death come sooner?
No. Hospice neither hastens nor postpones dying.
A member of my family recently passed away. Where can I find a support group to help me with my grief?
Tufts Medicine Care at Home provides a variety of support groups for people grieving the loss of a loved one. For a complete list of support groups available in your area or call 800-475-8335. Click here and be redirected to the Bereavement Support page where you can download a flyer of upcoming support groups.
What cities and towns do you cover?
Tufts Medicine Care at Home provides care in more than 100 cities and towns in the Merrimack Valley, northeastern Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire. Click here for a full list of the cities and towns of our service area.
Ron and Penelope (Penny) Verow laugh often as they share stories of the life they’ve enjoyed together and spoken glowingly of their two daughters and beautiful granddaughters. The retirement they had planned included relaxing in their beautiful home in Maine, fishing in the river that runs through the property and traveling to visit friends and family. But, all that changed with Penny’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis. As the disease progressed and Penny’s care became too difficult for Ron to manage alone, the dreams of enjoying leisurely days in Maine and taking trips to see family and friends were gone. They decided to move to Massachusetts, bringing them closer to family and to the care and treatment Penny needed.
Today, Penny receives personal care and support services five days a week, 52 weeks a year, including bathing, dressing, meal preparation, feeding, and light housekeeping. “The home health aides are kind, caring and helpful. They give Ron a break from caregiving and time for grocery shopping or errands. And, they’re a wonderful company for me. I get to enjoy a few hours of girl talk.”
“Caring for Penny is an honor,” said home health aide, Pam Fournier. “She wants to stay in her own home as long as possible and I’m committed to helping her do so.”
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[post_content] => At age 60, David Townsend waited patiently, hopeful that a heart transplant would give him more time – quality time to share with his wife, his children, and the grandchildren who adore him. He spent several years in and out of Boston hospitals, sometimes for months at a time, due to the complications of heart disease and diabetes – each time beating the odds. David experienced at least one major episode of acute heart failure, but his neighbor, a Lowell firefighter, would not give up on him, immediately administering CPR and continuing until paramedics had arrived.
With the support of Home Health VNA, David was able to stay at home in the familiar surroundings of his neighborhood and the company of family and friends. His goal was to get strong enough so that, if a heart became available, he could endure the surgery, recuperate and return to the comfort of his own home soon after the transplant. Helping him achieve his goals every step of the way was a Hearts at Home clinical team from Home Health VNA. Hearts at Home is designed to provide patients with complex heart conditions, such as heart failure, with intense care oversight and monitoring. With the support of Hearts at Home, David managed a complicated and extensive prescription regimen comprised of 41 daily medications in addition to receiving care from various disciplines, including physical and occupational therapy, nursing and social work. He utilized telehealth monitoring to track his vital signs several times each day and communicate regularly with his health coach for medical and emotional support. With Hearts at Home, David was surrounded by a highly skilled care team that applied exceptional clinical judgment to identify and respond to any medical concern that required intervention from his physician or an immediate nursing visit. “Everyone from your agency is on the spot, working hard and keeping a close eye on all my complex symptoms,” said David. “They truly care about me, checking on me, sometimes multiple times a day. Because of this terrific team, I’m getting stronger every day.”
Over time, David regained his strength and was well prepared when he received the much-anticipated news that a suitable heart was available. He underwent a successful transplant operation and was eventually able to return home to recuperate and undergo therapy to help keep his new heart strong. With the expert care and support of Home Health VNA nurses and physical therapists, David has fully recovered and is, once again, able to enjoy those very special times with the family and friends he cherishes.
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[post_content] => At just 49 years old, Daniel “Dan” Riley was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Although the diagnosis forced Dan to leave his job in the interior design field, Dan functioned well at home. He even volunteered to help others coping with serious illness, often visiting nursing homes or driving other patients to medical appointments. “Dan has always been upbeat and cheerful,” said his wife Janet. “He’s a jokester, with a positive attitude about everything. However, a few years after the initial diagnosis, the tumor returned, and he was told that nothing more could be done.”
Just after New Years’, as Dan became increasingly weak and unsteady, he knew it was time to transition to High Pointe House, the hospice and palliative care residence of Merrimack Valley Hospice. At less than five feet tall and quite petite, Janet couldn’t lift or support his six-foot frame, and both Janet and Dan could be injured if he fell. And, Dan was determined to keep his dignity until the end. Throughout his illness, Dan and Janet, a deeply spiritual couple, conversed openly and honestly about end of life, and they were resolute in their desire to spend their last days together. So, when Dan was admitted to High Pointe House, Janet moved right in with him. Throughout his stay at the House, Janet cherished the time they shared together. “Every moment here has been a gift,” said Janet. “I’m so thankful for Dan’s wonderful care and for the kindness and support of the entire staff.”
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I chose how I wanted to Live
For Barry, turning to a hospice meant enjoying the scones his wife baked, joining his friends on walks through the neighborhood on his scooter, and watching his grandsons on the basketball court. In his last course of treatment for cancer, he found himself constantly feeling awful – unable to eat, not tasting what he did, so weakened and sick that the extra few months the treatment might bring him were not filled with the “life” he wanted to enjoy.
Deciding to set up hospice was a chance to focus on how he wanted to live and connect to the resources that would help him do that. After arranging for home care through Merrimack Valley Hospice, Barry’s hospice nurse, Lisa, visited weekly, scheduling his care around his life. She adapted his medication delivery to a time that worked best for him and his wife’s daily plans and arranged her nursing visits to fit into his schedule. And she was responsive to their concerns and needs whenever they arose. Together, they worked to improve the quality of Barry’s life, understand and honor his wishes and reach his goals.
“Some people wait too long to enjoy the benefits of hospice. I knew I wanted to get the most of life. When you stop chasing time, you can start making use of the time you do have for the things that are important to you. Deciding on hospice, I chose how I wanted to live.”
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