FAQ about Hospice & Palliative Care

What is Hospice?

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?

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

Who Pays for Hospice?

For further information you may contact us at Aurora House 2646 W. 18th Street, Weslaco, Texas 78596 (956) 973-9690