The questions families ask us most.

No. It is a change in what we are fighting for: comfort, dignity, and time that still feels like yours. Care is active and skilled, managing pain, breathlessness, anxiety, and the dozens of practical problems a serious illness brings. It simply aims at comfort rather than cure. Many people feel better once that shift is made.

No. If your doctor is agreeable, he or she can continue as your attending physician, directing your care and working with our team. We keep them informed and carry out the plan together. If your doctor prefers not to, or you would rather, our medical director can serve as your attending physician instead.

Covered services, medications, equipment, and supplies related to the illness are provided at no charge to the patient. We will help you understand how Medicare, Medicaid, or other coverage applies to your situation before anything begins. We provide care without regard to ability to pay.

Adults living with a serious, life-limiting illness who have chosen comfort over curative treatment, when a physician expects the illness to limit life to months rather than years if it runs its natural course. Common diagnoses include cancer, heart failure, lung disease, dementia, kidney and liver disease, stroke, and ALS, but eligibility is about the person's condition, not the label.

Wherever you live: your home, a family member's home, an assisted living community, memory care, or a nursing facility. We serve Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, Greenfield, Anderson, Pendleton, the north side of Indianapolis, and surrounding communities.

Care at home is provided through scheduled visits, not 24-hour staffing. The family or facility remains the day-to-day caregiver, and we teach and support them. But a nurse is on the phone 24 hours a day, can come to the home when needed, and in a symptom crisis a nurse can stay for extended hours until things settle.

You call (317) 558-9305 and a nurse answers. They know the history, talk you through what's happening, and come to the house if needed.

Care can be stopped, paused, or changed at any time, for any reason. You can return to curative treatment. You can come back to us later. Nothing is locked in.

We can arrange a short respite stay of up to five days in a contracted facility so the family can rest, travel, or simply sleep. Volunteers can also provide a few hours of relief at home.

No. Comfort care does not shorten life. Good symptom control and less time in hospitals often mean people are more comfortable and more themselves, and some live longer than expected.

The goal is comfort with as much alertness as the person wants. Doses are adjusted carefully to the individual, and the family is taught what to expect and what to watch for. You are always part of that conversation.

You can always call 911. But for symptom emergencies we ask families to call us first. A nurse can usually resolve the crisis at home, which is what most people want, and avoids a hospital trip that may not help.

A nurse comes to the home, helps with what needs to happen next, and stays with the family. Support for the family then continues for thirteen months: check-ins, counseling, an annual remembrance gathering, and a hand-addressed card on the first anniversary. More about grief support →