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What is hospice care?
 ospice
combines specialized nursing care at home with compassionate, supportive services for
people at the end of life. Under some circumstances,
care is also provided in a
short-term inpatient setting.
The focus of
hospice care
is on managing pain and symptoms in a highly sensitive,
compassionate approach in an effort to ensure the
patient’s comfort, dignity and privacy.
Hospice involves a team of healthcare
professionals and volunteers who work closely with the
family to support their
decision to care for their loved one at home.
The patient's care is managed by a registered nurse who visits
regularly to check on the patient's condition and
well-being. The nurse teaches the family how to manage
their loved one's care between visits. Depending upon the
needs of the patient and family, other team members may
include:
- home health aide for patient's personal care
- medical social worker to help with emotional issues
- chaplain for spiritual care
- trained volunteer to help with a family’s more practical
needs, such as sitting with the patient while the caregiver
goes to an appointment
- physical or occupational therapist
As the registered nurse
coordinates the patient’s care and team services, he/she
also is in regular contact with the patient’s physician and
the hospice medical director, also a physician.
How is hospice care different from other types of care?
ospice
care is about honoring the choices of the patient and family over the decisions that
affect the end of life process. In a hospital, where 75
percent of deaths occur, everything—the environment, the
equipment, the food, the nurse, the doctor—is
institutionally managed.
The dying loved one and his family generally don’t control
much about the process. Hospice care is just the opposite,
respecting the patient and family's wishes for privacy,
dignity, and compassion.
How is hospice care paid for?
 edicare,
the Federal government health care reimbursement program for
those age 65 or older, has a benefit that covers hospice
care nearly 100 percent, including medications and equipment that
are related to the terminal illness. Most private insurance
companies mirror the Medicare Hospice Benefit. There is
usually little or no out-of-pocket expenses for the family. Medicaid
coverage varies by state.
What if patients have another condition, such as
diabetes, that requires a variety of medications and
equipment? Are these covered too?
 f the condition is the reason the
patient has come on to hospice care, it most likely will be
covered. In some cases, needs caused by secondary conditions can be
justified for coverage under the Medicare Hospice Benefit.
The hospice care provider
(see
grant recipients) and the patient’s physician make
that determination.
How is someone eligible for hospice care?
 nder
the rules of
Medicare and many private insurance plans, a physician
first must certify that the patient’s condition will cause
his or her death sometime within the next 180 days, or six
months. The patient is no longer seeking active, curative
therapies, opting instead for palliation which addresses
pain and symptoms and other comfort measures.
For lmore information
and resources, including books, CDs, and other materials, check out these
websites from the National Hospice and Palliative Care
Organization: nhpco.org
and
www.caringinfo.org.
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