University of Tennessee Medical Center Hospice Services
Pastoral Care Contact Info
1924 Alcoa Highway
Knoxville, TN 37920
Monday through Friday
8 am-4 pm
After hours, nights, weekends and holidays, the on-call chaplain can be reached at 865-305-9000.
Hospice Care & Palliative Care: What's the difference?
What is Hospice?
Hospice is a compassionate approach to care whose goal is to help people with serious illness live life fully, maintain their dignity and keep personal control over their lives. In medieval times, hospices were inns of rest which "lodged, cherished, and refreshed" the Crusader, the sick, and the dying. Today, Hospice provides medical care, emotional, and spiritual support to people and their families facing life-limiting illness in homes, hospitals, and nursing homes. Hospice is available to anyone with illness whose life expectancy is measured in months, rather than in years.
The specific services Hospice provides include a consulting physician, registered nurse, hospice aides, spiritual counselors, social work services, therapies (physical, occupational, speech), dietary counseling, drugs and medical supplies/equipment related to the life-limiting illness, backup hospital care, respite care, trained volunteers, and bereavement counselors.