Hospice Care is Underappreciated

Hospice care is an incredible service that few know about or think of in a positive light.

In fact, a few months ago a friend was telling me about her father’s declining health and was in the hospital getting ready to be discharged.

I then had to ask her, have you all considered Hospice care?

At the time, she said that was not on their radar…queue my support and fondness of Hospice!

So, what is Hospice care?

It is…

• Supplemental care for a person diagnosed with a terminal illness, giving the patient the ability to live comfortably- focusing on quality of life.
• An interdisciplinary team of professionals who address the physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs for both the patient and their entire family.
• Care that addresses coordination of care, communication and decision making.
• Provided in the setting that the patient calls home, which may be their private residence or that of a loved one, a hospital, assisted living community, or nursing home.

What are the services provided by Hospice?

• Visits to the patient’s location by the hospice physician, nurse, medical social worker, home-health aide, and chaplain/spiritual adviser
• Medication for symptom control or pain relief
• Medical equipment (i.e. wheelchairs or walkers) and medical supplies (i.e. bandages and catheters)
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Speech-language pathology services
• Dietary counseling
• Short-term inpatient care and respite care
• And, grief and loss counseling for the patient and their loved ones

However, Hospice does not cover…

• Treatment or prescription drugs intended to cure the patient’s terminal illness.
• Room and board in a nursing home or hospice residential facility.
• Emergency room care or inpatient facility care.
• Ambulance transportation, unless it is arranged by the hospice team.

So, who is eligible for Hospice Care? 

• A patient meeting specific medical eligibility criteria- life expectancy of 6 months or less, if the illness, disease, or condition runs its typical course.
• If a patient continues to decline after six months, they may be recertified by a physician or nurse practitioner for additional time in hospice care.
• Also, a patient can be discharged from hospice care if their condition improves. (The patient is eligible for hospice again if his or her condition begins to decline.)

Untrue facts about Hospice care and their services (and my personal pet peeves):

• A person can only go on hospice if they are dying.
• Going on Hospice is giving up. (It is the opposite in my opinion!)
• Hospice is only for the patient and does not help the family.
• You can only go on Hospice if the doctor suggests it.
• I cannot afford Hospice. (Medicare covers the expenses.)
• Only people over 60 are eligible. (Any age can receive Hospice care.)

When my father was terminally ill he agreed to Hospice care and I was so pleased.

The extra care, visitors, services, and support the Hospice team gave my dad and our family was amazing. I truly believe it is one of the better creations in the healthcare industry. The whole concept is based around quality care and comfort.

-Courtney

P.S. The Hospice Foundation of America is a wonderful site to learn more about the industry.