Hospice is a philosophy of comprehensive compassionate care for those in the final stages of life. At Hospice of Marion County, our mission is to provide exceptional support for patients and their families, mostly in the comfort of their own homes, in assisted living centers, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, or at Hospice Houses.

Currently, only 50% of those who could qualify for hospice care receive it. Our goal is to provide this professional service of pain relief and symptom management to as many people as possible, so that everyone may live out their days with the highest quality of life possible.

Who is Eligible?

Home-based Hospice care is for those living in Marion County (including assisted living centers, hospitals or nursing homes). Patients cared for in our Hospice Houses do not have to be a Marion county resident. Care is available to people of all ages, including children, with all diagnoses, including:

When a cure is no longer available, the specialized care teams at Hospice of Marion County provide comfort measures that allow patients to enjoy their life to the fullest. Working closely with the patient's personal physician, our team of physicians, registered nurses, social workers, dually licenses certified nursing assistants, pharmacists, chaplains, massage therapists, grief counselors and specially trained volunteers create an individualized plan of care for each family.

Hospice of Marion County has been serving the needs of patients and their families since 1983. As a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit agency, the organization provides professional care and volunteer assistance to patients who reside in Marion County from all walks of life, regardless of their ability to pay.

Who Pays?

Hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance companies. Memorial and support contributions are gratefully accepted and are directed toward un-funded patient care. It is our policy to never refuse service to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay. Hospice of Marion County has been licensed by the State of Florida and certified by Medicare to provide care for the terminally ill at home since 1983, making it one of the first in the nation.

Seventy percent of our patients receive care at home with family and friends nearby, but we currently operate three residential facilities, Estelle's House and Sylvia's House between Ocala and Belleview and The Legacy House in west Marion County. Our newest facility with 24 beds, The Tuscany House, opened in August 2006, and is located in southern Marion County adjacent to The Villages.

Hospice of Marion County employs nearly 400 professional team members with assistance from nearly 500 volunteers, all directed by community leadership. Meet our Board of Directors, Leadership Team and Hospice Directors.

Click here to find out WHY you can depend on Hospice of Marion County.

History of Hospice

Dame Cicely Saunders

My goal is to help the dying to live until they die and their families to live on.
Dame Cicely Saunders

In the late 1960s, an innovative British physician took the medieval concept of hospice as a haven for weary or sick travelers into the modern medical movement. Dr. Cicely Saunders, who was also a nurse, social worker and writer, completely altered the concept of care for the dying when she established St. Christopher's Hospice in London. Her contributions on the treatment of the Total Pain of the dying (physical, emotional and spiritual) make her one of the most important social change agents of the 20^th century. Through her determined advocacy for appropriate comfort care for the dying, she educated the public as well as the health profession in the principles of hospice care.

Hospice emphasizes palliative care (pain relief/symptom control) rather than curative treatment, choosing quality rather than quantity of life. Professional medical care is rendered, focusing on a sophisticated symptom of symptom management and comfort measures. The patient and family are always included in the care plan. Emotional, spiritual and physical support is available based upon the patient's family needs and wishes.

Dr. Saunders died on July 14, 2005, at St. Christopher's Hospice.