Choosing care at The Overlook
The practice of hospice and palliative medicine begins with a physician’s referral. Know that you have a choice when it comes to care – patients or their families can request referral to a particular provider, including The Overlook. Often a hospice patient can be admitted to The Overlook’s care within 48 hours of referral.
Although end-of-life hospice care may be difficult to discuss, having this conversation in advance allows patients and families to make an educated decision when considering options for care when facing a life-limiting illness.

There is a difference between palliative care and hospice care.
PALLIATIVE CARE near Charlton
Palliative care includes pain relief and focuses on relieving symptoms of a disease or disorder even if it cannot be cured. Palliative care can be provided with curative treatment and may begin at the time of diagnosis. If the patient’s physician believes ongoing treatment is no longer helping, a recommendation may be made to transition from palliative care to hospice care.
HOSPICE CARE near Charlton
Hospice care focuses on end-of-life care and comfort for the patient, plus support for loved ones.
In hospice care, it’s understood that the patient has a terminal illness and isn’t responding to medical attempts to cure or to slow a disease’s progress. Or the patient chooses not to undergo further curative treatments. Commonly, hospice is provided for a person whose doctor believes he or she has six months or less to live if the illness runs its natural course.
Where is care provided?
Hospice care usually takes place at home, but can be provided wherever the patient currently lives. At The Overlook, the majority of hospice care is provided in the patient’s residence; however, Overlook Hospice maintains contracts with acute and subacute institutions for inpatient care when the need arises.
What you can expect at The Overlook
We provide compassionate care with a focus on comfort and management of symptoms. Hospice embraces a philosophy of improving the quality of life for patients and families to live each day to its fullest in their home, wherever they call home.
Our hospice philosophy accepts dying as a natural part of life. When death is inevitable, hospice seeks neither to hasten death nor postpone it. Receiving hospice care doesn’t mean “giving up” or that death is imminent.
The earlier an individual receives hospice care, the more opportunity there is to address the patient’s needs. Some patients improve and may be discharged from hospice care.
Our hospice and palliative care teams
The Overlook’s interdisciplinary hospice team includes the following:
- Medical director
- Nurses
- Social worker
- Spiritual counselor
- Home health aides
- Volunteers

Quality of Care
Working together, the team ensures quality patient care and medical advocacy, as well as spiritual and emotional support for the patient and their family.
The team is on call and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A nurse is always available to respond to medical emergencies, answer questions, and provide symptom management over the phone. If phone service is insufficient, the nurse on call will either make a home visit or triage the situation to the appropriate member of the team.
Volunteers are an integral part of the hospice team, providing companionship, emotional support, and short-term respite care. Volunteers must complete an application, orientation and training to ensure the person is right for this specialized role. Mandatory volunteer training programs include understanding hospice, confidentiality, working with families, listening skills, signs and symptoms of approaching death, loss and grief, and bereavement support.
Our End-of-Life Programs
Grief support groups and memorial services are made available to the general public in the communities served by our hospice program.
Our Bereavement Program provides structured grief care to the survivors of those in our hospice care. Services are available for up to 13 months afterward and are determined by the needs of the recipient within the limits of the program.
In providing for all aspects of our patients’ physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, we’re proud to be a part of Pet Peace of Mind®, a groundbreaking national program that enables hospice patients to keep their pets with them throughout their end-of-life journey. We are able to provide helping hands and financial assistance to aid patients with pet care needs. We take “caring for the whole family” seriously.
Overlook Hospice and Palliative Services is proud to partner with We Honor Veterans. The goal of the program is to care for those who have served when they reach the end of life. By participating in community partnerships, we’re able to educate, engage, and expand awareness to Veterans and their families of end-of-life services and benefits available to them.
To learn more about Overlook Hospice and Palliative Care Services, or to learn about our volunteer opportunities, give us a call at 508-434-2200 or contact us online.

Clinician Services for Hospice and Palliative Care
We provide a variety of services through specially trained clinicians including:
- Skilled Nursing Care
- Physical, occupational & speech therapy
- Medical social worker services
- Home Health Aides
- Care management to coordinate any help you need
- Disease support programs
- Health monitoring through Telehealth, falls detection, personal emergency response systems and medication dispensing services
Testimonial

Service Area
Our service area, divided in two regions (Central and West) reaches out to more than 200 communities in Massachusetts. With offices in Charlton, West Springfield and Sunderland, our team of dedicated professionals serves more than 800 patients every day, helping them to receive treatment in the comfort of their homes.
Call us at 508-434-2200 to speak with a professional about your needs.

Sunderland
267 Amherst Road, Suite 2B,
Sunderland, MA 01375
W. Springfield
52 Wayside Avenue,
West Springfield, MA 01089
Charlton
88 Masonic Home Road,
Charlton, MA 01507
Medicare and Other Insurances
- Overlook Visiting Nurse Association is a service that is prescribed by a qualified physician.
- Please remember that you have a choice when you go to the hospital. If you want our services, you need to ask for “Overlook VNA”.
- Overlook VNA is a Medicare-certified program that can provide these services.
- Includes an individualized Plan of Care developed by a registered nurse with approval from the patient’s private physician.