Hospice team helps couple married 70 years stay in home Raymond, 87, and Velma, 86, have managed to stay in the familiar surroundings of their home despite difficult times this past year, thanks to care provided by family members who live nearby and the traveling staff of Our Hospice of South Central Indiana in Columbus. If their memory fails them, Raymond and Velma keep a birthday "cheat sheet" pinned among the picture frames in their living room, just in case. Last August, the children researched at-home care options as it became difficult to balance their work and the declining health of their parents. The couple chose Our Hospice of South Central Indiana Inc., the nonprofit, community-based service providing palliative care to individuals with advanced illnesses. Because their youngest daughter, Cathy Simmons, lives just around the corner, she is able to act as a primary caregiver for her parents, with hospice staffers checking in five days a week. Social worker Heather Means explained that the visit schedule is determined by patients' needs and requests. Various activities, chores, and medical therapy are performed during each visit: blood work, health assessment, spiritual reflection, homemaking tasks and life-review conversations. The dedicated staff makes it possible to provide the 24-hour on-call services, said Ford, a benefit the Rookses have used before, once at 3?a.m. Medicare, Medicaid, veterans benefits and private insurance cover most services provided. If a certain type of service is not covered, Our Hospice uses funds donated through memorial and private donations and foundations and grants. [...] a practice allows Our Hospice to provide care for all patients in 15 counties, no matter their ability to pay, said Suzie Singer, manager of planning and marketing.