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Welcome Overview Death and DyingHospice Overview Palliative Care Overview Six FAQsMedicare Benefit Pain Management Symptom Management |
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| Six Frequently Asked Questions (From National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization website) The long-term survival of hospice in America depends on a public that is fully aware of the benefits of hospice and palliative care services. According to a survey conducted by the National Hospice Foundation, 75% of Americans do not know that hospice care can be provided in the home, and 90% did not realize that hospice care can be fully covered through Medicare. However this survey also showed that Americans want the kind of end-of-life services offered by hospice. To learn more about hospice, begin with the following questions and answers. 1: What are some questions that you should ask when looking for a hospice program? Hospice care is a philosophy of care that accepts dying as a natural part of life. When death is inevitable, hospice seeks neither to hasten nor postpone it. Below is a list of questions you should consider when looking for a hospice program.
2: How can you afford hospice care? Eighty percent of people who use hospice care are over the age of 65, and are thus entitled to the services offered by the Medicare Hospice Benefit. This benefit covers virtually all aspects of hospice care with little out-of-pocket expense to the patient or family. As a result, the financial burdens usually associated with caring for a terminally ill patient are virtually nonexistent. In addition, most private health plans and Medicaid in 45 States and the District of Columbia cover hospice services. 3: Where does hospice care take place? The majority of hospice patients are cared for in their own homes or the homes of a loved one. “Home” may also be broadly construed to include services provided in nursing homes, hospitals and prisons. 4: How does hospice serve patients and families? Hospice care is a family-centered approach that includes, at a minimum, a team of doctors, nurses, social workers, counselors, and trained volunteers. They work collaboratively focusing on the dying patient’s needs, be they physical, psychological, or spiritual. The goal is to help keep the patient as pain-free and lucid as possible, with loved ones nearby until death. Below is a list of services available to Medicare hospice recipients.
5: What role do volunteers play in hospice care? Because round-the-clock, hands-on care is the hallmark of the hospice experience, hospice provides trained volunteers to aid the family and patients. Most hospice volunteers are trained to relieve the primary caregivers, do household chores, and help bathe the patients. Perhaps the most important task, however, is their ability to be “good listeners.” 6: Who qualifies for hospice care? Hospice care is for any person who has a life-threatening or terminal illness. Most reimbursement sources require a prognosis of six months or less if the illness runs its normal course. Patients with both cancer and non-cancer illnesses are eligible to receive hospice care. All hospices consider the patient and family together as the unit of care. |
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