Hospice care is specialized care for those who are experiencing a life-limiting illness. The goal of hospice care is to provide comfort-based care that maximizes quality of life. This care is provided by a team of health professionals who focus on the patient as a whole, utilizing a holistic and individualized approach.
Any individual who has a life-limiting illness is eligible for hospice care. Patients have little to no out-of-pocket expenses as hospice care is covered under Medicare.
Hospice care can be provided at any place a person calls home. This includes a private residence, group home, skilled nursing facility, hospital, or an assisted living facility.
The first step of the hospice journey is admission to hospice services. Our experienced hospice team will come directly to you to evaluate eligibility, explain all included services, and answer any questions you may have. If admission into hospice is the appropriate next step, the admission nurse will coordinate with the hospice physician to order any medications, equipment, and supplies necessary to provide the highest quality care and comfort throughout the hospice journey.
Your initial welcome visit happens within 24 hours of admission to hospice. This visit is performed by your assigned Registered Nurse Case Manager. Your nurse will perform a full assessment aimed at curating a personalized comfort-based care plan designed around your specific needs. A current medication review will be performed and any new medications ordered will be discussed. If you have elected to receive visits from a social worker, chaplain, or home health aide, they will visit over the next several days post-admission to give you an opportunity to get to know your team. Time for questions is provided at the initial visit and all subsequent visits. This practice ensures both patients and caregivers feel confident in their understanding of the specialized care plan.
Ongoing care and the frequency of team visits will be coordinated with your assigned hospice team. You will likely be visited several times per week by your nurse, but this cadence can be modified based on your preferences. The goal of nursing visits is to ensure that maximum comfort and the highest quality of daily living is being achieved. This occurs through continuous assessments and flexible modifications to your plan of care based on any new needs. If you have elected the assistance of a home health aide, your assigned aide will visit to assist with daily living tasks such as bathing, dressing, and grooming. Chaplain and social worker visits generally occur monthly if they are requested. However, all visits can be more frequent if desired. In the case of an emergency after-hours, the on-call nursing team will be available for any urgent nursing needs outside of your scheduled weekly visits.
The goal of hospice is to provide care in the home of the person receiving services whether this home is their private residence or a facility they have chosen as their current home. This is called routine home care and is the most common form of care throughout the hospice journey. However, sometimes there may be a need to modify the level of care received when maximum comfort is not achieved or if a caregiver needs some time away from the responsibilities of daily care. Your hospice team will frequently discuss and guide you to determine if a care level change needs to be implemented in order to manage difficult symptoms or for caregiver support.
This is the most common level of care throughout the hospice journey, and is typically the level of hospice care that most people are familiar with. Routine home care is provided in the home of the person receiving services whether this home is their private residence or a facility they have chosen as their current home. These include private residences, group homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities, and skilled nursing facilities. Your hospice team conducts routine visits based on your personalized plan of care.
Respite care is a 5 day period that provides a break or “respite” for caregivers. The hospice recipient will stay at a contracted nursing facility for a maximum of 5 days to allow caregivers some time away from the daily responsibilities of care in order to recharge. Your assigned social worker will assist in coordinating respite care including transportation to and from the respite care location.
Continuous home care is a level of care that provides specialized care in the home to assist caregivers if symptoms of pain or respiratory distress are difficult to manage. This level of care is elevated in terms of the frequency and intensity of care, and is temporary until symptoms are managed. The goal of continuous home care is to keep loved ones in their home where they are most comfortable and to avoid the need for hospital visits.
Similar to continuous home care, general inpatient care is for unmanaged symptoms that need 24 hour nursing assessment and intervention. However, GIP care is provided in a skilled nursing facility rather than in the home. GIP care is provided only as long as symptoms remain unmanaged and is not intended to be a long-term method of care. Once symptoms are managed, the hospice recipient will return home and resume routine home care.
The end of the hospice journey is the culmination of hospice care. Managing end of life symptoms and providing additional support during this critical time is our expertise. Daily visits are provided by your nurse manager to assess and coordinate with the hospice physician to ensure all needs and desires are fulfilled. Support visits of the chaplain, social worker, and bereavement team are available and can be provided daily as well. Passing peacefully surrounded by loved ones is the greatest gift we can offer our hospice recipients.
Bereavement begins after the end of the hospice journey when a peaceful passing has occurred. The bereavement team will be available to assist in the grief process for a minimum of 13 months post-passing for family and friends of our beloved patients. Support groups, individual meetings, and written literature is provided free of charge by our bereavement team.
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