• A choice about services available.
• Someone to be sure the patient’s wishes are
enforced.
• Supportive care from the patient’s own
physician.
• Emotional and spiritual support for patients
and families.
• Pain and symptom control tailored to the
patient’s wishes.
• An opportunity for the patient to put his/her
life in order.
• The option to remain in their own home, surrounded
by loved ones. Help for the family.
FOUR LEVELS OF CARE
There are four levels of hospice care defined by
law and paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, and most
other insurance plans. Hospice care is available
regardless of the patient’s geographical location,
and keeps patients in the setting that best meets
their needs, wherever they may reside.
The hospice or the attending physician will
determine what levels of care is needed using
standardized criteria. Not every level of hospice
provides 24 hour care. The goal of hospice is to
empower the family, by providing the needed
support. Not all patients use or need all levels
of care. The hospice team and the attending
physician determine what levels of care are
needed by each patient.
ROUTINE CARE: The patient receives hospice
services at home or in a home-like setting, such
as nursing home, assisted living facility or a
hospice residential facility. The family provides
the primary care to the patient with the assistance
of the hospice team.
CONTINUOUS CARE: Skilled nursing services
that are provided in the patient’s place of
residence to help during a crisis period.
INPATIENT CARE: This care is provided in
a facility (hospital, nursing facility, or hospice
freestanding inpatient facility) for symptoms or
a crisis that cannot be managed in the patient’s
residence. Inpatient care is provided for a limited
period of time, as determined by the physician
and the hospice team.
RESPITE CARE: This service is provided in
a facility (hospital, nursing facility, or hospice
freestanding inpatient facility) and is designed
to give caregivers a rest. Respite care is up to
five days and nights at a time. This service is
often used to provide a break so that caregivers
can participate in other family activities, such
as holiday celebrations, or just to relieve a tired
caregiver for a few days.
THE HOSPICE TEAM
Hospice services are delivered on an
intermittent basis, as needed by the individual,
through a professional hospice team. Services are
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide
Hospice Is...
Hospice is a special kind of care for people
who no longer pursue a cure for their illnesses
at the end of life. With hospice, care priorities
shift to support patients and the care givers
with end-of-life decision-making to reach
the best quality possible for each day.
Hospice provides quality care through a team
approach and offers a means to achieve what
people say they really want at the end of life:
This Section
Includes:
• Four Levels of Care
• The Hospice Team
• Questions to Ask
Hospice
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