Frqeuently Asked Questions

Many times, hospice is only contacted in the patient’s final days, and the person has suffered when it was not necessary. Most families of patients receiving care later say that they wished they had started care earlier. An individual does not need to be bedridden or in a hospital to benefit from hospice care. No matter what the person’s physical condition, hospice care focuses on keeping each patient as comfortable, functional, and alert as possible. If needed, hospice care may include help with bathing, dressing, and eating, as well as medicine and treatment for all symptoms, including pain and anxiety.

Hospice is for individuals with terminal illnesses that limit their quality of life and overly burden their loved ones. Individuals get the most benefit from comfort care when hospice is called early. Typically, hospice care begins in the last six months of life. Hospice can include comfort, pain management, and/or symptom control. Hospice allows patients to die at home, in a familiar environment, surrounded by their loved ones. Hospice also supports caregivers with the challenges of caring for a dying loved one. When a cure is no longer possible, the emphasis of care changes from hope for a cure to hope for quality of life, dignity, and purpose in the time remaining. Our goal is to provide the patient with a peaceful and comfortable death at the end.

When patients decide to be cared for by a hospice program, they acknowledge that treatment goals will shift from doing everything possible to cure their condition to one that helps make the rest of their lives as comfortable and high-quality as possible.

— Hospice care allows the patient to receive end-of-life care in his or her own home or in a familiar environment that is called home, such as a nursing home, a residential facility, or an assisted living center.
— Hospice care surrounds the patient, caregivers, and loved ones with a team of professionals offering physical, emotional, and spiritual support.
— Hospice care includes pain control, keeping the patient comfortable, and improving the patient’s quality of life for whatever time he or she has left.
— Hospice care is a Medicare benefit that includes medications, medical supplies, and medical equipment that is at minimum or no cost to the patient and his, her, or their loved ones.
— Hospice provides access to a member of the hospice team 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
— Hospice care may include volunteer support to provide meal preparation, running errands, patient support, and caregiver support.
— Hospice care provides grief support prior to and after the death of the patient.

Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans cover the cost of hospice, including medications, medical supplies, and equipment that is connected to the patient’s primary diagnosis. The federal Medicare Hospice Benefit is covered under Medicare Part A. The Benefit covers virtually all aspects of hospice care with very little, if any, out-of-pocket expenses to the patient or family.

Medicare covers these hospice services:
— Hospice physician services
— Nursing care
— Medical equipment (including hospital beds, wheelchairs, and walkers)
— Medical supplies (including oxygen, bandages, or catheters)
— Drugs for managing symptoms and controlling pain
— Home health aide services
— Social worker services
— Spiritual support and counseling
— Dietary counseling
— Grief support for patients and loved ones