Hospice FAQs
There are many myths and questions that surrounds hospice.
Are your aging parents in need of hospice care but you are a bit skeptical? Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked hospice questions. This will make it easier for you to get a better understanding of what hospice care is and when should you choose it.
Still have some questions about hospice care? Please contact us NOW!
One of the most common questions caregivers have is “what is hospice care?” People often have confusion regarding what hospice care is and what it is not?
Hospice is not a place rather it is a philosophy of care. It focuses on helping improve the patients’ quality of life instead of aggressive medical treatment. It surrounds the patient and the family members with a team of medical professionals and volunteers who help address physical, emotional and spiritual issues.
Hospice care is patient-centered care as it cares about the needs of the patient and his family members.
However, it must be remembered that hospice does not hasten or prolong death. At Inspiration Hospice, we help improve patients’ quality of life and celebrate the time left. It is all about making the patient as comfortable as possible.
Hospice is recommended for people who have six months or less to live. However, this does not mean that the patient is definitely going to die within the next 6 months. Rather, it means that the doctor won’t be surprised if the patient dies within the next six months.
Hospice patients often suffer from very serious medical conditions that limit their life expectancy. Usually, the disease is life-threatening and can be physically, emotionally and spiritually draining. Hospice specializes in easing pain, distress, and discomfort on all levels.
To qualify for hospice care, an individual must be terminally ill with a prognosis of 6 months or less. This does not mean care will only be provided for six months. There is no way to be certain just how long a person has left to live. Therefore, hospice can be provided as long as the person’s physician and hospice team certify the condition remains life-limiting.
Take the quiz NOW to see if hospice is a good fit for you, your aging loved ones or a friend facing life-limiting medical conditions.
You can also learn more about Hospice Eligibility Criteria HERE.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions people have. Hospice care does not mean giving up. Although when you choose hospice, your loved one’s condition may have reached a point where there is not a cure, hospice care help comfort the patient and improve his life quality.
Hospice care emphasis on easing pain and distress while making it easier for the patient to spend his last few months as pain-free as possible.
With the expert care of a registered nurse and a case manager, along with the assistance of hospice aides, social workers, and volunteers, patients and families can build wonderful memories in the last few months.
Learn more about Hospice Myths and Misconceptions.
While your primary physician can suggest hospice care, they often wait too long to bring it up. This is partially a reason why patients often receive hospice care so late in the process.
If you think your aging loved one can benefit from weekly visits from hospice professionals who specialize in pain management and easing of distress, ask your primary physician if you should consider hospice now or in the near future.
Patients don’t have to give up their doctors under hospice care. Sometimes patients are hesitant about hospice because they think it will mean that they can’t keep their doctors. But the Medicare benefit encourages doctors to follow their patients on hospice, allowing the patient to receive care from both their personal doctor and the hospice physician.
Most patients and families who receive hospice care always say that they wish someone has told them to start hospice early. Research has shown that hospice care help increases both life quality as well as comfort for the patient.
If you think you or your loved ones can benefit from hospice care, assistance with bathing and grooming, pain management, emotional and spiritual support, ask your physician if you should consider hospice.
If you would like to learn more about when to start hospice, get in touch with our experts. An Physician’s Choice Hospice professional will typically respond to your inquiry within a few hours.
Anyone can inquire about hospice services.
You or your loved one may call Physician’s Choice Hospice and request services. Physician’s Choice Hospice will then set up a meeting of the patient and family with a registered nurse, and contact your physician to determine if a referral to hospice is appropriate. We are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Hospice coverage is provided by Medicare, Medicaid, and by most private health insurance policies. Medicare and/or Medicaid are the most frequent sources of payment. Both will pay at 100% for hospice care. Physician’s Choice Hospice assesses patients based on need and not financial status, we will never charge the family for our services.
All hospice agencies are required to provide a Registered Nurse, Hospice Aide, Social Worker, Chaplain and Physician as part of the patient’s plan of care.
Most hospice agencies provide a maximum number of visits per week which is usually 1 Nurse Visit per week, 3 Hospice Aide Visits per week, and as needed for social worker, chaplain, and physician visits. At Inspiration Hospice, the per week visits are our minimum level of care, we evaluate every patient individually. We provide daily hospice aide visits and twice-weekly nursing visits for our patients as they need them.
A patient may choose to opt-out of hospice for a variety of reasons, such as pursuing experimental measures or resuming curative treatment. Alternatively, if a patient shows signs of recovery and no longer meets the hospice eligibility criteria, he or she can be discharged from hospice care. The patient can return back to the program again if his condition worsens.
Hospice is not exclusively for cancer patients. Physician’s Choice Hospice care for patients living with a terminal illness that limits their life expectancy. Apart from cancer, hospice is available to patients living with a medical illness such as Respiratory and Cardiac disease, Neurological illness including Lou Gehrig’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, AIDS, and Cirrhosis, Renal disease and others.
Hospice does not dope people up on a high dose of morphine. When a patient has a legitimate need for pain medication, only then are they given a suitable dose. Physician’s Choice Hospice makes sure the patients are as pain-free as possible without being dope. We help our patients to enjoy each day to the maximum, given their medical condition.
Volunteers are the heart and soul of any good hospice agency.
Amazing hospice volunteers provide caregiver relief, hand-holding, companionship, and much more.
Physician’s Choice Hospice has an amazing volunteer program. We have over 88 active volunteers and provide an additional 40% of care to our patients through our volunteer program.
Physician’s Choice Hospice is available to their patients 24 hours a day 7 days a week. At Physician’s Choice Hospice we have a full-time staff that provides care for our patients after normal business hours. We will always have a nurse available to make visits at any time of day or night.
At Physician’s Choice Hospice, we have an amazing team of admissions nurses. Therefore, we are able to admit a patient within just a few hours of a request for care.
