The Tidewell Foundation seeks donor support to expand the successful pilot of Tidewell’s Advanced Cardiac Care Program. Tidewell Hospice was selected as one of 29 hospices around the country for a national pilot endorsed by the American Heart Association, in partnership with the National Partnership for Hospice Innovation. Through the incredible generosity of donors, Tidewell Hospice will expand the pilot to full services for patients.

Tidewell’s Advanced Cardiac Care Program is a combination of clinical protocols and patient/family education resources. Included are evidence-based tools that improve care quality and save patient families from stress and unnecessary expense by utilizing hospice at home, avoiding emergency room visits and overnight hospitalization. Nurses use telehealth equipment to care for patients, including a weight scale, blood pressure cuff, pulse oximetry device, and a tablet to allow for videoconferencing and to transmit patients’ data daily. This ultimately results in improved quality of life for patients, reduced cost of care, better symptom management, and increased support for the family.

Patients in Tidewell’s Advanced Cardiac Care Program are supported with an individualized care plan with:

• Regular visits from nurses with specialized training in the evaluation and management of cardiac disease. The nurses work to control patients’ cardiac symptoms at home, based on orders from patients’ private physicians and the hospice team physicians.
• Cardiac education specifically designed for the patient and family.
• Oversight from a hospice and palliative care physician who work with the team on the plan of care for patients.
• Medications prescribed to control symptoms.
• Additional support from Tidewell’s social workers, nursing assistants, chaplains, grief counselors, and, if requested, a volunteer.

The Advanced Cardiac Care Program is able to provide patients with high-quality, end-of-life care thanks to the generous contributions of our donors.