About Hospice

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Compassion Redefined

What is Hospice ?

Hospice is medical care for patients that are the last stages of a life limiting illness. Hospice care is ordered and overseen by a physician. The main goal of hospice care is to provide comfort and support to individuals with a life expectancy of six months or less. Hospice focuses on improving the quality of life for patients by managing symptoms and providing emotional, social, and spiritual support. Hospice care also extends support to the patient’s family, helping them cope with the emotional and practical challenges of end-of-life care. The specialized care is available for those in the last stages of life, life; however, services are not automatically cut-off if the patient lives longer than expected.

Where is hospice care provided?

Hospice can be provided anywhere the patient calls home, including assisted living and nursing homes. Hospice also includes level of care options for those requiring care in a medical facility, or a hospital.

Care Concepts

How Does Hospice Differ from Home Health and Palliative Care?

Home Health

Home health is designed to help patients recover from illness, injury, or surgery, and to manage chronic health conditions. Patients must be homebound and require skilled nursing care or therapy services. This care is typically short-term and aimed at rehabilitation.

Palliative Care

Offers relief from symptoms and stress of serious illnesses at any stage, alongside curative treatments. It focuses on improving the quality of life while seeking treatment for a life limiting illness. In addition, palliative care provides emotional and psychological support, ensuring patients and their families feel understood and cared for during challenging times. It helps in managing complex symptoms, coordinating care plans, and offering guidance in making medical decisions.

Hospice Care

Hospice care focuses on the care, comfort, and quality of life of a person with a serious illness. Hospice is a choice for those who desire to spend their remaining time in comfort and dignity, surrounded by loved one. Patients or their authorized representative may choose hospice if they choose not to pursue curative treatment, or the treatment(s) have become ineffective, intolerable or exhausted. Hospice care brings together a team of people with special skills — among them nurses, doctors, social workers, spiritual advisors, nursing aides and trained volunteers. In addition, hospice care can include hospice related medications, medical supplies and medical equipment.

What Are Palliative Care and Hospice Care? | National Institute on Aging

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What does hospice care include?

Hospice includes care that is related to the life limiting diagnosis and conditions is inclusive of four levels of criteria based care, physician services, medical equipment (oxygen, wheelchairs, walkers, lifts, etc.), medical supplies (bandages, catheters, etc.), medications nutritional counseling; physical and occupational therapy as needed; hospice aide (i.e., help with bathing, grooming, and dressing); social worker services, counseling, and grief support. The Dignity Hospice team will be able to make a care plan that is tailored to individualized needs.

Who pays for and what is included with hospice ?

Hospice is typically covered under Medicare benefit, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans

Hospice care includes expenses related to the terminal and related conditions, including medications, supplies, durable medical equipment, and care provided by a specialized team of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, nursing aides, social workers, chaplains, bereavement counselors, therapists, and volunteers.

What are some indications of hospice

Some of the indicators for hospice include:

Symptoms such as pain or shortness of breath become difficult to manage.
When treatment options for a life-limiting illness are no longer desired, have been exhausted, or are no longer tolerated.
Multiple trips to the hospital or emergency room.
Unintentional weight loss.
Reoccurring falls, wounds, or infections.
Increased fatigue and weakness.
Increased dependency on others.
Prognosis of life expectancy is less than six months.

Hospice myths

Myth: I must have a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order to be on hospice services

The truth:

While many hospice patients choose to have a DNR, it is not mandatory. Many still benefit from hospice services even if they choose to opt for life-saving measures like CPR for emergencies. Individualized goals guide the care through the hospice journey. If you have questions about advanced directives, please reach out to your hospice team or healthcare professional.

Myth: You can’t keep your own doctor if you enter a hospice program.

The truth:

With hospice, a person’s family doctor or specialist is encouraged to remain engaged in their care. The hospice physician communicates with the physician who may know the person better (medically) than anyone else, to determine the specific medical needs addressed in developing an individual plan of care.

Myth: Hospice is for people whose death is hours or a few days away.

The truth:

Families often express that they wished their loved one had received hospice care much earlier in their illness. Hospice care can be accessed up to six months before an expected death, giving patients time with family, friends, and pets, and the possibility of extended support from the hospice interdisciplinary team. Although hospice care neither hastens death nor prolongs life, studies show that patients with certain illnesses live somewhat longer with hospice care than those without it.

Myth: Hospice is only for cancer patients.

The truth:

While many hospice patients have cancer, the majority have other life-limiting illnesses such as end-stage heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases (like Parkinson’s disease), lung or kidney disease, or Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Navigating health care decisions

It is important to discuss the goals of care with your loved one and their healthcare providers. Ultimately, the decision should be based on your loved one’s specific medical condition, their wishes, and the guidance of their healthcare team. It’s important to have these sometimes difficult open and honest conversations to ensure the chosen care aligns with their values and needs.