Hospice Care & Benefits

Hospice Care & Benefits

Hospice Care

Hospice is a way of caring that focuses on managing pain and symptoms, instead of curing the disease. Hospice is generally offered to patients who have exhausted the curative medicines and who’s life expectancy is about six months. Hospice focuses on making the patient as comfortable as possible and in providing support for the family where it is needed.

Many organizations and companies offer hospice care. When a patient and the family have made the decision, generally with the doctor, that hospice care is the alternative they should seek, there are several things about hospice that are useful to know. This is not an exhaustive list, and you may find other things about hospice in your research.

Further Research and Resources:

1. The American Cancer Society -

http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/FindingandPayingforTreatment/ChoosingYourTreatmentTeam/HospiceCare/hospice-care-what-is-hospice-care

2. The Carolina Center for Hospice and Palliative Care -

http://cchospice.org/

(Has a “Hospice 101” education series.)

3. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization -

http://www.nhpco.org/templates/1/homepage.cfm

4. The Association of Death Education and Counseling -

http://www.adec.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home#

5. Caring Connection: Living With Illness -

http://www.adec.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home#

6. North Carolina Advance Directives from Caring Connections – get a Living Will, Health Care Power of Attorney, etc.

http://www.caringinfo.org/files/public/ad/NorthCarolina.pdf

Did You Know?

The patient has the right to choose what company/service you desire.

You can receive hospice services where you are – for example, in your home, an assisted-living facility, or a nursing home.

Hospice will generally cover the costs of medication written in the diagnosis for treatment.

Hospice is paid for through Medicare (Part A), Medicaid, your private insurance or may be paid for from your/patient’s private funds.

Hospice is not limited to cancer patients only. Any patient with an end-stage diagnosis such as with Alzheimer’s, HIV, and kidney disease to mention a few, are eligible.

Hospice Services can include

the following:

Pain and symptom control

Spiritual care

Home care and inpatient care

Respite care (service to give your family and caregivers some time away)

Bereavement care