Question: When should patients and families choose hospice care?
Hospice care is available for patients a with a life-limiting illness and a prognosis of six months or less; however, hospice care may be renewed and continue as long as needed. Experts in hospice care agree that patients need to be enrolled for at least 60 days to maximize the benefit of a hospice program.
Patients and families need to know:
- That hospice care is focused on living not dying
- That hospice care involves a team-oriented approach to expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient's needs and wishes
- That care can take place in the patient's home or assisted living facilities
- That it is a Medicare benefit and that medicines related to the terminal diagnosis are paid for in full
- That you can continue to receive care from your own physician
- That Hospice Savannah's medical director will assist your personal physician in managing your care
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Dr. Kelly Erola
Hospice Savannah's First Full-time Medical Director
 Dr. Kelly A. Erola is Hospice Savannah's Chief Medical Director. She is a graduate of McMaster University Medical School in Ontario, Canada, and completed her residency in Family Medicine at the University of Ottawa where she received the award for the highest standing on her certification exams. Dr. Erola has served as Medical Coordinator of the Northeastern Ontario Breast Screening Program, Associate Director of Family Practice Residency at Floyd Medical Center in Rome, GA and as a family physician for International Paper Family Medical Center. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Family Practice and is a member of the American Medical Association, Georgia Medical Society and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
During her tenure in Ontario, Dr. Erola was involved in instituting a palliative care education program for family physicians. " I feel that hospice care and dying with dignity are important components within the continuum of care, " she said. " The patient and family are at the center of care surrounded by a supportive team of professionals and volunteers."
Dr. Erola oversees the hospice care of Hospice Savannah patients and serves as a resource in end-of-life care to the patient's primary physician and to the medical community.
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