“Hospice” is a term mostly associated with end-of-life care, but what people don’t associate with the word are all of the benefits that go far beyond the physical conditions of the patient. Hospice helps cover the emotional, spiritual, and psychological needs of the person waiting to pass on, as well as the family members who are put in an uncomfortable and stressful situation with losing the person they love.
Understanding Hospice
Hospice is the philosophy of care, and focuses more on the individual and quality of life, rather than the reason why that person is ill. Hospice surrounds a person with a team of professionals who address the physical needs of the patient in addition to the emotional needs of the family. It is important for families to know that hospice isn’t hastening death, but rather celebrating the life that is left to be lived and to make it as comfortable as possible for them to carry out their remaining days. A misconception that hospice holds is that utilizing it’s services means you or your loved one is “giving up” on life. It is understood that hospice services are offered to people with a life expectancy with 6 months or less, however that doesn’t mean there is nothing left to do. With expert guidance from a team of doctors, nurses, counselors and hospice aids, patients find they can focus on their relationships working to create memories that will impact their family longer than their illness had.
What to Expect with Hospice
Hospice services are centered on in-home care, and can be organized by your hospital where you’ve had previous treatment. If you need in-patient care depending on the illness, the hospital and hospice team will make arrangements for your stay. Typically no one is turned away from hospice— in fact, Medicare has been paid for most hospice care since 1983. The Department of Veteran Affairs also pays for hospice services in addition to most private insurance companies.
Receiving hospice services includes a team of the following:
· Doctors
· Nurses or nurse practitioners
· Counselors
· Social workers
· Pharmacists
· Physical and occupational therapists
· Speech-language pathologists
· Hospice aides
· Homemakers
· Volunteers
In addition to having a team of experts to help with pain management and overall medical care, a hospice nurse and doctor are on-call 24 hours a day, to give you and your family support and care when you need it.
As stated before, hospice services are normally for those with a life expectancy of 6 months or less. If you live longer than 6 months, hospice services are still available for use as long as your hospice doctor agrees that you’re terminally ill. Medicare’s website informs us that you can get hospice care for two 90-day benefit periods, followed by an unlimited number of 60-day benefit periods. In addition, the patient must sign a statement electing the hospice benefit and by doing so, they are foregoing treatment to cure the illness. This also elects the patient to receive care to make their last days more comfortable—"palliative" care. This is a big step for many patients and their families. The patient himself must make this election, provided they are able to communicate their wishes.
Don’t Wait Too Long
Hospice is a very underutilized service, especially given the fact that it is covered by Medicare. According to an article on hospice by PBS, in the United States, the average length of hospice care is less than 60 days with 30 percent of those who elect hospice care dying in seven days or fewer. Perhaps it’s the misinformation about hospice benefits in conjunction with the general discomfort that dying holds which prevents Medicare beneficiaries and their family from taking advantage of the valuable benefit.
To find a hospice in your area, visit the Web site of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (
www.nhpco.org), which offers a "Find a Hospice Program" tool, among other services.