Our Comprehensive Approach
Serious illness doesn’t happen in isolation. It affects the person who is ill, the people who love them, and the rhythms of daily life. That’s why care at The Connecticut Hospice is built around patients and families together.
Care plans aim to support collective comfort and quality of life. They reflect shared goals, individual needs, and what matters most day to day. No matter where or how care is provided, the focus remains the same: attentive, coordinated care that supports physical comfort alongside emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.
An Interdisciplinary Team, Working as One
Our hospice and palliative care services are delivered by a physician-directed, nurse-coordinated team that combines clinical skill with human understanding and support.
All members of the care team work closely with patients, families, and one another to ensure consistent care and support from every angle.
- Board-certified physicians
- Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs)
- Hospice aides
- Social workers
- Chaplains and spiritual advisors
- Art and music therapy specialists
- Dieticians
- Pharmasists
- Trained volunteers
Patients and Families: One Unit of Care
We care for patients and families as a single unit—not as separate individuals navigating illness on their own, but as people whose lives, decisions, and emotions are deeply connected.
Serious illness often changes routines, relationships, and roles. Our approach reflects that reality by supporting each person involved while keeping the family as a whole at the center of care. We encourage questions and conversations about the illness, its progress, and treatment options, with the goal of helping everyone understand the process of palliative and end-of-life care.
Services That Support the Whole Person
Every patient receives a care plan developed by their interdisciplinary team and adjusted over time as goals, priorities, and circumstances evolve. These plans are designed to remain flexible, allowing patients to move between home-based and inpatient care when appropriate, without gaps in care or support.
Our comprehensive approach to care includes a wide range of services designed to support mind, body, and spirit, including:
- Medical care and symptom management
- Skilled nursing and hospice aides
- Pastoral and spiritual care
- Arts and music therapy
- Social work and counseling
- Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
- Respite care for caregivers
- Bereavement services for families
- Pharmacy support
- Dietary consultations
The 10 Principles of Care
These principles define our interdisciplinary, patient-and-family-centered model of care.
- The patient and family are regarded as the unit of care.
- Services are physician-directed and nurse-coordinated.
- Emphasis is on control of symptoms (physical, sociological, spiritual, and psychogenic).
- An interdisciplinary team provides care.
- Trained volunteers are an integral part of the team.
- Services are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on call, with emphasis on availability of medical and nursing skills.
- Family members receive bereavement follow-up.
- Home care and inpatient care are coordinated.
- Patients are accepted on the basis of health needs, not on ability to pay.
- There are structured systems for staff support and communication.
Explore Our Comprehensive Services
Medical Support Measures
Physician-guided care focused on pain relief and symptom management.
Pastoral Care and Spiritual Support
Support for reflection, meaning, or faith, regardless of beliefs or traditions.
Social Work
Guidance and emotional support as families navigate decisions, stress, and change.
Therapies (PT/OT/ST)
Home-based therapies that support safety, function, and independence.
Volunteer Support
Presence and companionship, often from those with personal hospice experience.
Different Locations.
One Approach to Care.
Whether at home, in skilled care or assisted living facilities, or at The Connecticut Hospice’s Branford hospital, we care for patients and families together—because serious illness affects everyone involved.
Our interdisciplinary team collaborates across care settings to support physical comfort and well-being while addressing emotional, social, and spiritual needs.
Care plans are tailored to each individual and adjusted as circumstances change, helping families feel supported, informed, and never alone throughout their journey.
Licensed, Certified, Accredited Hospital
Our 52-bed waterfront hospital is available to all our home care patients, as well as new patients referred by families or our community partners.
This facility provides 24/7 expert-level symptom management, including infused pain medications and rapid dose adjustments for patients whose symptoms cannot be managed at home.
Licensed, Certified, Accredited Home Care
Our home care services support patients in private homes, assisted living communities, and skilled nursing facilities across all levels of palliative and hospice care.
Care is delivered by interdisciplinary teams focused on comfort, caregiver support, and continuity, allowing patients to remain at home whenever clinically appropriate.
Admissions
Admission to The Connecticut Hospice is a collaborative process guided by each patient’s needs and goals of care.
Our team works closely with patients, families, and referring providers to ensure the right level of support, in the right setting, at the right time.
A Comprehensive Approach
At The Connecticut Hospice, families and caregivers are an essential part of the care experience. That’s why we support patients and the people who love them together.
Care plans are shaped around shared goals, personal needs, and what matters most in daily life. Our interdisciplinary team works across settings and services to ensure care is coordinated, responsive, and attentive to the emotional, social, and spiritual well-being of everyone involved.
We help bring clarity and compassion to serious illness, so patients and loved ones can focus on the moments that matter most.
How Can We Help?
Make a Donation
As a local not-for-profit, The Connecticut Hospice relies on donor support to provide individualized services and therapies not fully covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance.
Your generosity helps ensure that every patient and family receives the care, comfort, and support they need, regardless of circumstances.