1. How can hospice help?
2. Is hospice for only the very last days of life?
3. Isn’t hospice just for people with cancer?
4. Who are all those hospice workers?
5. So, who is in charge?
6. How is hospice paid for?
7. What is included in this benefit?
8. How soon should we sign up?
9. How do we sign up?
10. My mother resides in a nursing home. Can she get hospice care?
11. How is hospice different from home care?
12. Why would a nursing home resident need hospice? They have nurses there
and caregivers 24 hours a day.
13. What about the "six-month" thing?
1. How can hospice help?
Hospice acts as the "eyes and ears" of the doctor, and can observe and
report important changes in order to manage discomforts promptly. Hospice care and support allows someone to be cared for in the comfort of their
own home with less need for frequent physician visits and trips to the ER.
2. Is hospice for only the very last days of life?
No. Anyone with a progressive life-limiting disease that might possibly cause
death within six months can sign on for hospice care.
3. Isn’t hospice just for people with cancer?
Hospice is for cancer, but hospice is also for any life-limiting disease:
- Heart disease, Stroke
- Neurological diseases, like MS and ALS
- Lung disease
- Kidney disease, Liver disease
- AIDS
- Dementia
- And others
4. Who are all those hospice workers?
Hospice team members are trained professionals, including:
- Registered Nurses
- Licensed Vocational Nurses
- Certified Hospice Aids
- Medical Social Workers
- Spiritual Care Coordinators
- Grief Counselors
- Physicians
- And specially trained volunteers
5. So, who is in charge?
The Hospice Team works with your personal physician to offer you the best options
in comfort care and symptom management. The patient, and in some cases the patient’s appointed
representative, consider the options and make the final decisions regarding care.
6. How is hospice paid for?
Medicare covers Hospice Care. Also, private insurance carriers, and Medi-Cal,
For those who truly have no financial resources, many hospice programs raise funds so that no one in need of hospice care is turned away for lack of funds.
7. What is included in hospice?
Benefits include:
- Expert Care from all members of the hospice team
- Medications that are required to control symptoms related to the hospice diagnosis
- Equipment necessary to provide safe care
- Education for family, patient, and caregivers about the disease process
- Grief support for loved ones before and after the death
8. How soon should we sign up?
You should sign up:
- When treatment is no longer working
- If you decide to stop curative treatment for your cancer or other disease
- As soon as comfort, not cure, is the primary goal of care
9. How do we sign up?
There are several ways:
- Ask your doctor for a referral. But, be aware that your doctor may be waiting for a sign from you that you are not only physically ready, but also emotionally ready for hospice care.
- Call hospice directly. Hospice will contact your doctor to discuss care needs, and then will set up a meeting with you and your family to talk about how Hospice can serve your personal needs.
10. My mother resides in a nursing home. Can she get hospice care?
Yes Hospice takes care of people where ever they live:
- Private Residence
- Assisted Living
- Nursing Home
- Homes of friends or family
11. How is hospice different from home care?
Home care visits are expected to taper off and then stop as the patient improves.
Hospice care is designed to assist and support the patient and family throughout the course of the disease, and support the loved ones after the death.
Hospice has an RN available 24 hours a day/7 days a week to answer questions, give advice, and make a home visit if necessary.
Medicare will not pay for homecare and hospice care at the same time.
12. Why would a nursing home resident need hospice? They have nurses there
and caregivers 24 hours a day.
The focus of care is different:
- Nursing homes specialize in the care of those who are elderly and those who are rehabilitating from surgery, illness or accidents.
- Hospice specializes in pain and symptom control, patient and family support, and educating the patient and family about the illness and what to expect.
- Hospice can offer one-to-one mental, emotional, and spiritual support for the resident and for the family.
- Hospice has fewer patients to provide care for in the nursing home; therefore hospice can give the patient uninterrupted and undivided attention during visits.
- Hospice is a value added service provided at no additional charge to the resident.
13. What about the "six-month" thing?
To fulfill Medicare requirements, hospice patients are re-evaluated often to make
sure that they remain appropriate for hospice services. It is very common for
someone to begin hospice care and have remission or improvement of their
condition. If their condition improves or stabilizes, they may quit hospice and come
back later if their condition returns or worsens.
The "Six-Months Thing" is a Guideline: Hospice care does not "time out" at the end
of six months. If a patient’s condition continues to decline, they continue to receive
hospice care, regardless of how long they have been receiving hospice services.
If you have other questions, if anything needs clarification, or if you would like more information regarding Grief Services please feel free to call us at any time.
Hospice of Petaluma 778-6242
Memorial Hospice 568-1094
