FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS -
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What is Hospice Care?
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Hospice is a specific healthcare option for patients and families faced with terminal illness, with a prognosis of 6 months or less to live. These individuals have elected to seek palliative and not curative care. It aims to provide comfort and peace, to help improve quality of life for the person who is terminally ill. Hospice also assists family members cope with their loved one’s illness and can also provide support to the family after the person dies, including help with grieving
Who is eligible for hospice?
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Anyone with a serious illness who doctors think has a short time to live — generally 6 months or less.
Is hospice care only for people with cancer?
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Hospice provides services to individuals with any terminal diagnosis and who have a life expectancy of six months or less based on a physician’s best judgment. This includes, but is not limited to, Alzheimer’s or other dementias, heart and liver diseases, cancer, COPD and other lung conditions, ALS, Parkinson’s and many other conditions related to end-of-life.
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When Should I Start Hospice Care?
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Many people wait to receive hospice care until the final weeks or days of life. It’s imperative to talk with your doctor about your illness and how your disease is progressing. Starting hospice early may be able to provide months of meaningful care and quality time with loved ones.
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What Services Does Hospice Care Provide?
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Hospice care provides a range of different services. These services include, but are not limited to, clinical support for relief of symptoms and pain, emotional and spiritual support for the person and their family, help with advance care planning, therapy services, like physical or speech therapy, and much more.
What else does hospice provide?
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Hospice service also provides durable medical equipment which is essential in providing comfort and managing symptoms.
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Where Does Hospice Take Place?
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Hospice can be provided in many settings — a private home, skilled nursing facility, assisted living facility, or in a board and care.
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Do I Have to Stop Other Medications If I’m in Hospice?
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When you elect hospice care, medication and other treatments to cure or control your serious illness will stop. For example, if you are receiving chemotherapy that is meant to treat or cure your cancer, that must end before you can enter hospice care. However, a person in hospice can continue to take medications to treat other conditions or symptoms, for example, high blood pressure.
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Who covers hospice service?
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Most Medi-Cal, Medicare, private insurance providers will cover some of the services provided by hospice. People enrolled in Medicare can receive hospice care if their healthcare provider thinks they have 6 months or less to live. They will need to sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of other Medicare-covered treatments for their illness.
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Who makes up the hospice team?
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The Interdisciplinary team consist of:
Patients PCP
Hospice Medical Director
Nurses
Home Health Aides
Social Worker
Chaplain
Bereavement Professionals
Therapist (Physical/Speech/OT)
Trained Volunteer
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Does Hospice Include 24/7 Care?
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One of the misconceptions about hospice care is that hospice provides 24 hours a day, 7 days a week custodial care, or full-time care at home or an outside facility, this is rarely the case. It is true that hospice provides a wide range of support, most of the day-to-day care of a person dying is provided by family and friends. Nevertheless, the hospice care team is always available by phone or face to face visit 24/7.
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What is the benefit of Hospice Care?
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Recent studies have shown that when an individual elects hospice care they are more likely to have increased family satisfaction and better symptom and pain management. They are also less likely to undergo tests or be given medication they don’t need or want.
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