The Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Missouri's hospice program has become the first in Southeast Missouri to earn Medicare certification.

VNA Hospice, which serves the counties of Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Perry, Mississippi, Scott, New Madrid and Stoddard, received certification June 24.

The VNA Hospice program provides care to terminally ill individuals and their families. Hospice care gives persons with a terminal illness the chance to remain in their own homes while receiving medical, spiritual, emotional and social support.

Services are provided by a team that includes the family, physicians, nurses, aides, homemakers, ministers, social workers, counselors, therapists and volunteers.

Medicare-Medicaid certified hospice programs offer services not covered under regular Medicare.

Home health services provided under regular Medicare requires patients to be homebound and in need of skilled health care.

Under the Medicare-Medicaid Hospice benefit, other services including pain medications and other drugs related to a terminal illness; medical equipment like wheelchairs, hospital beds and oxygen equipment; homemaker services, private duty care; trained volunteers; and bereavement services for the family are covered.

For more information call Visiting Nurse Association at 335-5256 or 1-800-303-5256.