| What
are some questions I should ask when looking for a hospice
program? |
Hospice care is a philosophy
of care that accepts dying as a natural part of life. When death is inevitable,
hospice seeks to neither hasten nor postpone it. Below
is a list of questions you should consider when looking
for a hospice program.
| • |
Is the hospice licensed? Are they Joint
Commission Certified? |
| • |
What types of services are provided? |
| • |
What kind of support is available to the family/caregiver? |
| • |
What roles do the attending physician and hospice
play? |
| • |
What does the hospice volunteer do? |
| • |
How does hospice work to keep the patient comfortable? |
| • |
How are services provided after hours? |
| • |
How and where does hospice provide short-term
inpatient care? |
| • |
Can hospice be provided in a nursing home or
long-term care facility? |
|
| |
| Who
qualifies for hospice care? |
| Hospice care is for any person
who has a life-threatening or terminal illness. Most reimbursement sources require
a prognosis of six (6) months or less if the illness runs
its normal course. Patients with both cancer and
non-cancer illnesses are eligible to receive hospice care. All
hospices consider the patient and family together as the
unit of care. |
| |
| How
does hospice serve patients and families? |
Hospice care is a family-centered
approach that includes, at a minimum, a team of doctors,
nurses, home health aides, social workers, chaplains, and
trained volunteers. The
team works closely together, focusing on the dying
patient's needs, whether physical, psychological, or spiritual. The
goal is to help keep the patient as pain-free and comfortable
as possible, with loved ones nearby until death.
| • |
Physician for the medical direction of the patient's
care. |
| • |
Regular home visits by registered nurses and
licensed practical nurses. |
| • |
Home health aides and homemakers for services
such as dressing and bathing. |
| • |
Social work and counseling. |
| • |
Medical equipment such as hospital beds. |
| • |
Medical supplies such as bandages and catheters. |
| • |
Drugs for symptom control and pain relief. |
| • |
Volunteer support to assist patients and loved
ones. |
|
| |
| How
does hospice care work? |
| Typically, a family member serves
as the primary caregiver and, when appropriate, helps make
decisions for the terminally ill individual. Members of the hospice staff make
regular visits to assess the patient and provide additional
care or other services. Hospice staff is on-call
24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The hospice team develops a care plan that meets each
patient's individual needs for pain management and symptom
control. The team usually consists of the following
individuals:
| • |
The patient's personal physician |
| • |
Hospice physician (or medical director) |
| • |
Nurses |
| • |
Home health aides |
| • |
Social workers |
| • |
Clergy or other counselors |
| • |
Trained volunteers, and |
| • |
Speech, physical, and occupational therapists (if needed). |
|
| |
| Is
there any special equipment or changes I have to make in
my home before hospice care begins? |
| Your hospice provider will assess
your needs, recommend any equipment, and help make arrangements
to obtain any necessary equipment. Often the need for equipment
is minimal at first and increases as the disease gets worse. In
general, hospice will assist in any way it can to make
home care as convenient, clean, and safe as possible. |
| |
| Must someone be with
the patient at all times? |
| In the early weeks of care,
its usually not necessary for someone to be with the patient
all the time. Later,
however, since one of the most common fears of patients
is the fear of dying alone, hospice generally recommends
someone be there continuously. |
| |
| What
role do volunteers play in hospice care? |
| Because round-the-clock, hands-on
care is central to the hospice experience, hospice provides
trained volunteers to aid the family and patients. Most hospice volunteers
are trained to relieve the primary caregivers, do household
chores. Perhaps their most important task is their ability
to be "good listeners." |
| |
| Is
care for the patient at home the only place care can be
delivered? |
| Hospice believes that emotional
and spiritual pain are just as real and in need of attention
as physical pain.
Hospice nurses and doctors are up to date on the latest
medications and devices for pain and symptom relief. In
addition, physical and occupational therapists assist patients
to be as mobile and self-sufficient as possible, and they
are often joined by specialists schooled in music therapy,
art therapy, massage, and diet counseling. |
| |
| How
does hospice manage pain? |
| While managed care organizations
are not required to include hospice coverage, Medicare
beneficiaries can use their Medicare hospice benefit anytime,
anywhere they choose. They are not locked into the end-of-life
services offered or not offered by the managed care organizations.
On the other hand, those under 65 are confined to the managed
care orginizations services, but most provide at least
some coverage for hospice. |
| |
| Is
hospice care covered by insurance? |
| Eighty percent (80%) of people
who use hospice care are over the age of 65, and are thus
entitled to the services offered by the Medicare Hospice
Benefit. This benefit
covers virtually all aspects of hospice care with little
out-of-pocket expense to the patient or family. As
a result, the financial burdens usually associated with
caring for a terminally ill patient are virtually nonexistent. In
addition, most private health plans and Medicaid cover
hospice services. |
| |
| If the patient is eligible for
Medicare, will there be any additional expense to be paid? |
| Medicare covers all services
and supplies for the hospice patient. In some hospices,
the patient may be required to pay a 5% or $5.00 co-payment
on medication and respite care. You should find out
about any co-payment when finding a hospice. Loving Hands
Hospice accepts the Medicare payment as payment in full,
with no out of pocket expenses for the patient, or their
families. |
| |
| Does the hospice provide
any help to the family after the patient dies? |
| Hospice provides continuing
contact and support for family and friends for at least
a year following the death of a loved one. Most hospices
also sponsor bereavement groups and support for anyone
in the community who experienced the death of a family
member, a school friend, or anybody else that was important
to them. |
| |
| What should I do first if I am
having a problem with the care provided by the hospice? |
| As soon as you think you have
a problem, you should immediately talk
to the staff to see if they can help. If you are
not satisfied with any response you may receive, make sure
you talk to the administrator. It is the administrator's
responsibility to assure that concerns are dealt with efficiently
and effectively. The administrator should always
report back to you about their efforts to deal with your
concerns. |
