What does hospice provide?
- Specialized care services for patients that include symptom management, emotional support, spiritual support and psychosocial intervention.
- Addressing issues most important to the patient’s needs and wants at the end of their life focusing on improving the individual’s quality of life.
Who is eligible for Hospice Care?
- Must have a diagnosis of a terminal illness with a prognosis of 6 months or less.
- Comfort, care and symptom management become the primary focus.
- Curative treatment is no longer the focus of treatment.
What diagnoses are eligible for care in Hospice?
- Cancer
- COPD
- End Stage Renal Disease
- Liver Disease
- Stroke and Coma
- Advanced Alzheimer’s
- HIV
- Not limited to any other diagnosis that is deemed to be terminal for that patient.
Where is Hospice Care provided?
- Patient’s home/Caregiver’s home
- Nursing Home
- Assisted living facility
- End of life care facility (Aurora House, Comfort House)
- Any location where patient may received 24/7 care
Can I live alone and still receive Hospice Services?
- Yes
- Plan and prepare for the time in a patient’s illness when 24 hour a day will be required.
Does Hospice provide 24 hour in-home care?
- No
- Hospice provides intermittent nursing visits to assess, monitor.
- Hospice team members are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer questions or visit at any time if the need for support arises.
Can a Hospice Patient choose to return to curative treatment?
- Yes, a patient may leave hospice and return to curative treatment if that is their choice
- Patients may always return to Hospice when eligible.
Can I go back to the hospital and still receive Hospice services?
- Many symptoms may be managed at home by the hospice team.
- At times patients may require a short hospital stay to stabilize the symptom and then the patient is/may be able to return home or to the hospital facility.
Benefits of Hospice
- Qualifying DME equipment
- Hospital beds, oxygen, incontinent supplies
- Medications – all medications related to disease process
- Access to team of medical professionals
Who Pays for Hospice?
- Medicare/Medicaid when eligible
- Insurance when eligible