Hospice care offers amazing support for patients and families who no longer want to pursue treatments. It is a beautiful way to give patients hope for quality of life and comfort care.
Hospice is:
- Medical care for people with an anticipated life expectancy of 6 months or less, when cure isn’t an option, and the focus shifts to symptom management and quality of life.
- An interdisciplinary team of professionals trained to address physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of the person; the team also supports family members and other intimate unpaid caregivers.
- Specialty care that is person-centered, stressing coordination of care, clarification of goals of care, and communication.
- Provided primarily where a person lives, whether that is a private residence, nursing home, or community living arrangement, allowing the patient to be with important objects, memories, and family.
- Care that includes periodic visits to the patient and family caregivers by hospice team members. Hospice providers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond if patient or caregiver concerns arise.
- The only medical care that includes bereavement care, which is available during the illness and for more than a year after the death for the family/intimate network.
- A Medicare benefit; to which all Medicare enrollees have a right. Hospice care also is covered by most private health insurance at varying levels, and in almost every state, by Medicaid. Read more about paying for hospice.
Hospice is not:
- Focused on curative therapies or medical intervention designed to prolong life.
- A replacement for nursing home care or other residential care.
- 24/7 care, in the majority of cases.
- Care that hastens death.
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