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Hospice
Deciding whether or not a loved one should be on hospice care is never easy. It is not uncommon to for people to have negative feelings, thoughts, and emotions towards the word. Hospice, however, is a service that allows loved ones to have their symptoms managed in their entirety, allowing those with terminal conditions to pass in a dignified manner, surrounded by those they love.
When to start
In no way is hospice care "giving up". Hospice is simply choosing to prioritize comfort when nearing the end of life. Anyone who has a life expectancy of 6 months or less if a disease runs its natural course qualifies for hospice. You can ALWAYS choose to go off of hospice if desired as well, regardless of your life expectancy.
Where care is provided and your role
Hospice is a supplemental care that is provided in the patient home. It is not a 24/7 live in service, rather a support to ensure that family members and loved ones have the tools and assistance needed to ensure that their loved one is cared for. Short term respite stays are also an option when on hospice.
What Hospice provides
Symptom management is the focus of hospice. A care team makes an individualized plan alongside patients and their families to ensure that their physical, spiritual and emotional needs are managed at their maximum potential. This includes a team of nurses, aides, physicians, chaplain and social workers. Hospice provides 24/7 lines of communication, ensuring that help is available whenever it is needed. Lastly, hospice supplies patients with equipment needed in order to ensure maximum comfort (hospital beds, bedside commodes, wheelchairs, etc...)
Who pays for hospice?
Most insurances cover all of the costs. Medicare and medicaid are the most common providers, and they cover nearly everything. There are instances when small copays may be required (usually 5% or less), but this is not common.
Common misconceptions about hospice:
There are too many misconceptions to address in full, but we will debunk a few of the most common ones here. If you don't see it here, please give us a call and ask, we are always available and are happy to answer anything questions about hospice. Every answer is judgment free, and if we don't have the answer, we will do our best to find it and get back with you.
Misconception: Hospice care accelerates the dying process
Hospice care absolutely does not aim to accelerate or slow down the dying process. When someone elects for their hospice benefit, they often time receive new medications to help better manage their symptoms. There are many misconceptions that these medications are given to accelerate death, which is completely false. If instructions are followed, these medications are a valuable tool in managing symptoms and ensuring comfort.
Misconception: Hospice provides 24/7 caregivers
Routine hospice is intermittent care, with 24/7 on call services available for exacerbations, unmanaged symptoms, or questions/concerns. If patient needs are unable to be met by family support with hospice care as well, arrangements can be made to move the patient somewhere that they can receive the level of care they warrant.
Misconception: Hospice does not allow you to seek treatment for anything.
Hospice covers care related to terminal illness, but you can still receive treatments for other conditions and symptom relief for the terminal illness. You may continue seeing your regular doctors, go to the ER if necessary, and use non-hospice insurance for unrelated care. You can also leave hospice at any time to seek curative treatment and re-enroll later if needed.