What Is Hospice?

What Are The Advantages Of Hospice Care?

• Hospice treats the person, instead of the disease; focuses on the family, instead of just the individual and emphasizes the quality of life, instead of its duration.
• Hospice care allows terminally ill patients and their families to experience the end of life together, in the comfort and security of home or a home-like setting.
• Hospice uses the combined knowledge and skills of an interdisciplinary team of professionals, including physicians, nurses, home care aides, medical social services personnel, spiritual counselors, therapists and volunteers.
• Hospice care is a cost effective alternative to services provided in hospitals, nursing homes and other institutional settings.
• Hospice is the preferred choice of health care delivery for the terminally ill and their families.

What Services Does Hospice Provide?

Medicare-certified hospices are required to provide: nursing care; social services; physician services; counseling services; home care aide services and bereavement services. Physical, massage and occupational therapies, and speech-language pathology services are available as needed. Short-term, in-patient care (for respite, or acute pain control, and symptom management), continuous care, medical equipment and supplies; and medications are also available.

Who Is Eligible For Hospice?

A person is eligible for hospice under the Medicare Hospice Benefit once he or she is certified by a physician as having a terminal illness with a life expectancy of six months or less. Hospice is available to all terminally ill individuals and their families regardless of their age, gender, race, nationality, creed, sexual orientation, physical condition, or ability to pay. Although most of the patients who are admitted to hospice agencies have conditions related to cancer, other frequent admission diagnoses include heart and lung disease, and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and ALS.

Who Pays For Hospice Care?

Hospice services are covered by Medicare, the Medicaid programs of 41 states and the District of Columbia , and most private insurance and managed care plans. In addition, military personnel and their dependents are eligible to receive hospice care. Hospices rely heavily on donations and community support to fund services for patients.

For more information about hospice services, please call:
ADORAY Home Health and Hospice at 715-684-5020, 715-483-2701 or 800-359-0174