Hospice is Not About Improving but About Feeling Comfortable
Hospice care differs significantly from the type of care that we typically think of for health care.
First and foremost, hospice care is palliative care. That means that the focus is on providing comfort and support, making the patient feel comfortable. With hospice care the focus is not on treatments meant to cure an illness or help a patient recover from an injury. The difference may seem subtle but it has profound consequences. Occupational and physical therapy is out. Most treatments are curtailed. A doctor trained in hospice care will review the patient’s medications and will stop or reduce many that are not specifically related to the patient’s immediate comfort.
NursingHomeDatabase provides an easy way to find the hospice providers in your area with detailed reports on each hospice provider which can help you to make an informed decision on which provider to choose.
Palliative care is about relieving the symptoms associated with a terminal illness. This typically means pain management. Here also things are different. Many medications like opioids that would not be prescribed to patients for fear of addiction are freely available to the hospice patient.
Hospice also address Psychological and Spiritual Issues
Along with the physical concerns, hospice will also attempt to help the patient deal with the psychological and spiritual issues that confront everyone who is dying. (How different is this from normal health care that gives very little attention to anything other than the physical issues confronting the patient.) This help typically includes both secular assistance by counsels or social workers as well as religious professionals like priests, nuns, or other religious practitioners.
Hospice Care is Also for the Family
Hospice care is not just for the patient—it is also for the family and friends of the patient. Hospice care provides emotional and practical support for families who are dealing with a life-limiting illness. The hospice team can help families understand what to expect, manage symptoms, make decisions about treatment, and cope with their grief.
Grief counseling and religious services are available to the family and friends of the patient during hospice care and for up to a year after the patient’s death. Grief counselors and religious practitioners can offer support and guidance as the family grieves. They can also help the family to process their feelings and emotions. Counselors will often proactively reach out to family members to offer support and consolation.
Hospice – Special Facility or Home Environment, You Choose
Unlike regular medical care, hospice patients are not expected to go to see their medical professionals, the care comes to them.
There are many different types of hospice care, but the two main types are home hospice and facility-based hospice. Home hospice is when hospice care is delivered in the patient’s home, and facility-based hospice is when it’s delivered in a special facility like a nursing home or hospital. This option also includes special group homes that are often normal single family homes but with the addition of nursing staff available 24 hours a day. These group homes have the benefit that they are more comfortable for the patient and the family than a hospital or skilled nursing facility.
Both types of hospice have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to talk to your doctor or Hospice provider to see which one would be best for you or your loved one.
Hospice is Covered by Medicare
Medicare typically covers all the costs related to hospice care for a period of up to 90 days regardless of any patient deductibles. It is important to understand that the coverage applies only to the medical professionals and the medications. Medicare does not include costs for the hospice facility nor does it cover any costs after death.
After the initial 90 day period, patients on hospice are not out of luck. Medicare allows for a second 90 coverage period. Patients still on hospice after 180 days can continue on hospice provided that a doctor meets with the patient in person and reauthorizes hospice treatment. This reauthorization is for a 60 day period and can be renewed every 60 days. Some patients can remain on hospice care for years.
Hospice is Not Always the End- You Can Change Back
While someone may be told that they need hospice care, this does not always mean that they are going to die soon. Some patients remain in hospice care for years. Other patients improve and are moved off of hospice care.
It is important to note that there is a clear line that distinguishes hospice care from regular health care. If a hospice patient decides that they want to go to a doctor or to the hospital for some form of treatment, they will be taken off of hospice care.
Leaving hospice does not mean that you cannot return. Patients can come and go from hospice as often as is needed.