General Inpatient Care - Level of Care

When pain and other end-of-life symptoms are unmanageable in a patient’s home, they may qualify for General Inpatient Care (GIP) level of care. Think of it as hospice crisis care, the highest level of care provided by Big Bend Hospice when relief cannot be achieved in a patient’s residence.

Levels of Care

Margaret Z. Dozier House and The First Commerce Center for Compassionate Care – homelike settings for patients and their loved ones

Our inpatient hospice care units provide tranquil, respectful, and homelike settings for patients and their loved ones. Though they’re professional experts, Big Bend Hospice’s dedicated staff move with a sense of calmness as they provide soothing support and relief to patients, family, and friends. Our multi-disciplinary staff is focused on enhancing each patient and family’s comfort through a variety of modalities. Big Bend Hospice is the only hospice in the Big Bend area of Florida that operates inpatient units with specially trained hospice staff.

Margaret Z. Dozier House

Margaret Z. Dozier Hospice House provides general inpatient care in a homelike setting. Located off Mahan Center Boulevard in Tallahassee, the Dozier House offers the hospitality of 12 private rooms and around-the-clock family visitation privileges.

First Center for Compassionate Care

The First Commerce Center for Compassionate Care (FCCCC) is a peaceful inpatient hospice unit on the third floor of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH) that provides the comfort of home and the compassion of hospice for patients and families.

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Together, these units establish Big Bend Hospice as the only operator of inpatient hospice care across a region encompassing Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla counties.

Our thoughtfully designed inpatient units can accommodate overnight stays and provide spaces for gatherings, celebrations, and reflection.

Hospice is a philosophy of care – not a place. We meet patients wherever they are with hospice care to provide compassion, relief, and dignity.

Inpatient hospice care is ordered by a physician. Our care teams evaluate each situation and make recommendations based on individual conditions. We involve patients, families, and caregivers in these important decisions.

What is the difference between Dozier House and FCCCC?

The Dozier House and FCCCC provide general inpatient care through medical and nursing treatments that manage end-of-life symptoms. Both locations also have access to our special programs that focus on a patient’s and their family’s needs. Additionally, Dozier House offers respite and routine levels of care while FCCCC does not.

What situations require inpatient hospice care?

Patients must require a higher level of care, directed toward pain or symptom control that cannot be feasibly provided in any other setting other than general inpatient care. Big Bend Hospice’s physicians follow Medicare guidelines to determine whether inpatient care is appropriate. GIP care is also appropriate when patients require frequent medication adjustments, observation, or other stabilizing treatment that cannot be done in the home setting.

How does inpatient care differ from hospital care?

While both hospice inpatient units and hospitals aim to provide comfort and medical support, Big Bend Hospice’s inpatient teams focus solely on managing pain and symptoms related to terminal illness — with a strong emphasis on comfort and quality of life. In contrast, hospitals prioritize treating or curing medical conditions.

Inpatient care is focused on creating a warm and familiar homelike atmosphere to allow families to focus on what matters most – time together. Our patient rooms allow family members to stay with their loved ones. We encourage our patients to bring items that make them feel at home.