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What Is Hospice?

What Services Are Provided In Hospice Care?

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While different hospices offer different services, a "full  service" hospice program offers the following services, each of which are  tailored to meet the patient's specific needs:

Medical care

  • Medical care is primarily to treat your symptoms and to keep you comfortable. 
  • Common complications are also treated -- for instance blood clots or urinary tract infections. 
  • Some private insurance carriers extend coverage to allow treatment or drugs to fight the illness in addition to caring for patient.

Physician care 

  • Your medical care, including pain relief, is generally determined by your primary care doctor. He or she also works with the other members of your hospice team.  
  • In addition, hospices generally have a physician medical director who serves as a consultant and resource for you and your primary care doctor.
  • In general, the doctor for your health condition will not visit you at home or in a hospice. Expect that most contact with the doctor will be on the phone, or through a hospice nurse.

Nursing care

  • Hospice nursing care is generally provided by a Registered Nurse ("RN").  
  • RN's are responsible for coordinating the plan of care and providing patient evaluations. They also serve as the go-between among patients, family and the physician.

Medical Social Services  

  • Hospice social services are designed to meet your social, emotional and economic needs. 
  • Services range from arranging for meal delivery (such as Meals on Wheels) to locating local funds for medical assistance. 
  • These services are generally provided by a social worker who can help to maximize use of community resources. 

Spiritual counseling and support for patient and  family. 

  • Clergy  and other counselors provide these services.   
  • Hospice programs may also use church groups and their members to supply voluntary services, as requested by the patient and family. 

Home health aide services may include bathing and  other hygiene and personal care. 

Physical, occupational, and speech therapies are  available to assist patients in being mobile and self-sufficient. Patients  learn new ways to accomplish everyday tasks such as walking, communicating, and  getting dressed. 

Nutritional counseling services provided by a dietician.

Support services, provided by trained volunteers,  include companionship, preparing meals, light housekeeping, and running  errands.

Hospice care does not generally mean that someone must be  with the patient all the time. There may be a desire to have one with the  patient full time as death approaches.

Medical Equipment and supplies such as hospital beds,  wheelchairs, walkers, oxygen, bandages or catheters, that may be necessary to  provide care in the home. 

Short-term home care supplied  by hospice staff, in the event that the family caregivers are temporarily  unable to provide 24-hour care (usually during an emergency situation). The staff will provide care ranging from 8 to 24 hour periods on a short-term  basis.

Hospice inpatient care is provided in a hospital, nursing home or the hospice's private care facility  to provide additional pain or symptom management. After discharge from a  facility, home hospice care is usually reinstated. "Inpatient care" is the term  that Medicare, Medicaid and hospice agencies use in describing this service.

24 hour on call service is available for your  questions and those of your caretakers, counseling, and possible home visits  during emergency periods.    

Respite care is designed to provide the family  with a "respite" - a temporary break from their care duties. Respite care is  not volunteers periodically staying with a patient for a few hours at a time to  allow family members to perform out-of-home chores or otherwise take a break.

Respite care is generally provided in a hospital, nursing  home or other hospice facility. While respite  care could be provided at home, inpatient care is generally the only type of  respite care for which insurers will pay. 

Bereavement counseling and support for the family  after their loss.  This service may be  conducted by a trained volunteer or counselor. It includes family support  groups and referrals to medical/mental health professionals when necessary.  Counseling may continue for at least a year.


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