15 Things You Should Know
15 Things You Should Know about Hospice
- Medicare and most private insurance companies have hospice coverage. No one is denied service for inability to pay.
- Hospice serves patients with all terminal illnesses.
- Patients can receive hospice care for longer than six months, if their disease is still progressing.
- Hospice pays for all comfort medication related to the patient’s terminal illness.
- Hospice provides a Professional Nurse for symptom management and a Certified Nursing Assistant to help with personal hygiene. Hospice also has a Homemaker for light housekeeping.
- Hospice provides spiritual and emotional support for the patient and family through professional team members, and bereavement support following the death of the patient.
- Hospice provides medical equipment for comfort and safety.
- Hospice patients/care givers may call hospice for advice of help 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
- Patients continue to visit their physicians while on hospice service. Their primary care physician automatically becomes a hospice team member.
- To receive hospice care, a local physician is required. Hospice can help you find one if need be.
- You can call hospice and request help for yourself or a loved one. Hospice can contact your physician for a referral.
- Hospice coaches the family on how to care for the patient.
- Hospice provides bereavement care and counseling to surviving family and friends.
- Hospice makes short-term inpatient care available when pain or symptoms become too difficult to manage at home, or the caregiver needs respite time.
- Hospice delivers special services like speech and physical therapy when needed.
