Q: What is Hospice?

A: Hospice is a model of care. It is an approach to care that addresses the whole person physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We use a team approach including your attending physician, Hospice Medical Director, nursing staff (RN, LPN, and CNA), social services, spiritual/bereavement and volunteer assistance and as-needed therapies.

Hospice Facts:

• The goal of hospice care is to improve the quality of the patient’s life by offering comfort and dignity.
• Most hospice care takes place in the individual’s home.
• Hospice care neither prolongs life nor hastens death. Hospice staff and volunteers offer a specialized knowledge of medical care, including pain/ symptom management.
• Hospice deals with the emotional, social, and spiritual impact of the disease on the patient and the patient’s family and friends.
• Hospice offers a variety of bereavement and counseling services to families before and after the patient’s death.
• Hospice professionals make routine visits to the home, but family and / or friends are nearly always involved in the patient’s care.
• Hospice uses trained volunteers to help with household chores and to give family caregivers respite time. For example, a volunteer can give the family caregiver a chance to run errands or simply take a walk or nap.
• If a patient’s condition improves during hospice care or if the patient desires, the patient can discontinue hospice care.

Q. Who is Eligible for Hospice Services?

A: Any person who is facing a terminal illness is eligible for hospice services. Hospice care is appropriate when the following criteria are met:

• The physician feels the patient will have six months or less to live if the disease were to take its normal course.
• The patient and family are no longer seeking aggressive or curative treatments.
• The patient and family agree and understand hospice focuses on pain control and symptom management, not a cure.

Q: What diagnosis is appropriate for hospice?

• Cancer
• Adult failure to thrive
• HIV/AIDS
• ALS
• Renal Disease
• Cardiac Disease
• Pulmonary Disease
• Dementia
• Liver Disease
• Stroke/Coma

Q. How does someone get referred to hospice?

A: Referrals are made by physicians, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, and family members. A physician’s order is required for Homeland Hospice to proceed with referral.

Q. How is the cost of hospice covered?

A: Hospice is covered by most insurers; this includes Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurers. Most policies cover the entire cost of hospice, but some may require a copay or deductible.