What Services Does Hospice Care Provide?
Navigating a terminal illness and the prognosis of a short lifespan for yourself or a loved one can become overwhelming. As you look into helpful options, you’ll find hospice care services can offer invaluable support and relief for the entire family. For patients with Medicare or MediCal, hospice care services are provided at no out-of-pocket costs. Let’s take a close look at what hospice is and how it plays an important role in supporting those in the end stages of life.
Who Qualifies for Hospice Care Services?
Unlike palliative care, hospice care has stringent qualifications. The patient must have a diagnosis of a terminal illness and a doctor must certify that their life expectancy is six months or less. While in hospice, the patient must cease curative treatments for their disease. Treatments take a new focus on providing comfort and symptom care. While all hospice agencies accept Medicare and MediCal, many will also work with private insurance companies, though there may be some out-of-pocket costs.
What Services Does Routine Hospice Care Provide?
There are four levels of hospice care and routine care is the most common level given as patients enter hospice. As patients begin services, a hospice medical director and/or care manager coordinate services and create a care plan for the patient. The primary caregivers also work with the hospice team to come up with a schedule that works for the entire family.
Under routine hospice care services, the family can expect daily visits from nurses and certified nursing aids to address medications and physical symptoms of their disease. They may make adjustments to oxygen delivery, change wound dressings, provide personal grooming and hygiene, help with meal prep and light housework, and provide other tasks of daily living as needed.
Aside from regular visits from hospice nursing professionals, patients will also receive visits from other members of the diverse hospice care team. They may meet with social workers who can help connect them with community resources, physical therapists who help reduce bodily stress, and nutritionists who aid in the proper sustenance plan. Spiritual chaplains are optional support members of the hospice care team who can help patients find solace in where they are and where they are going spiritually. Bereavement counselors visit with both the patient and their family members to help them cope and come to terms with what the future holds. Family members can continue to receive bereavement hospice care services for several years after their loved one has passed.
What Supplies Does Hospice Provide?
Patients in hospice care services are also supplied with the necessary medical supplies and durable medical equipment to help keep them comfortable and as healthy as possible. For patients with Medicare and MediCal, all medical supplies are provided at no cost. Some examples of what supplies hospice does provide to patients are:
Medications
Wheelchair
Hospital bed
Bedside commode
Oxygen and oxygen delivery equipment
Shower chair
Wipes
Gloves
Wound dressings
Blood pressure monitor
Incontinence products
Catheters
Medical supplies and equipment are provided on an as-needed basis. Patients with private insurance may need to pay some out-of-pocket costs for hospice care items. If you are still wondering what specific supplies does hospice provide, one of our knowledgeable team members can help answer your questions.
Additional Hospice Care Services
During the patient’s stay in hospice, they may need diagnostic imaging services like x-rays, CAT scans, and MRIs to help the doctor track the condition of their illness and make adjustments to their care plan. Hospice provides these services as well as podiatry services and laboratory work. A & H Hospice also offers patients the convenience of 24-hour nurse availability with rapid response rates. We aim to respond within 24 hours of contact to help resolve important issues as they arise. This availability can make the difference between staying in one’s home and a costly trip to the emergency room.
Medication Delivery
Trips to the pharmacy take time, travel costs, and are simply an inconvenience every month. While receiving hospice care services, a team member will deliver medications to the patient’s doorstep monthly. Hospice medical directors can also fill prescriptions as needed, making sure your loved one receives their medications without lapse.
What Services Does Continuous Hospice Care Provide?
When the patient’s symptoms become intense, hospice care services respond with a higher level of care called continuous hospice care. The hospice care team will consult with family members to decide if continuous care is needed. Some of the symptoms that may lead to this decision might include:
Uncontrollable pain
Excessive nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting
Extreme agitation
Multiple seizures
Respiratory problems
Deterioration in consciousness
Continuous care respects the patient’s wishes to remain in the comfort of their own home. During continuous hospice care, nurses work in shifts from at least 8 hours to as much as 24 hours a day to stabilize the patient. Continuous care typically only lasts 1-5 days as nurses work to be able to return the patient to routine care.
What Services Does In-Patient Hospice Care Provide?
When continuous care isn’t cutting it or a medical crisis occurs, sometimes the patient will need to be moved to a hospice care facility where in-patient hospice care services can be administered. At the facility, nurses, physicians, and other hospice care team members will attend to the patient 24 hours a day to calm their acute symptoms. They may receive intravenous medications that need constant monitoring, complex wound care, or minor procedures to help provide symptom relief. During this level of care, the family members can step back in their role as caregivers and focus on being there emotionally for their loved one.
What Services Does Respite Hospice Care Provide?
When a person is diagnosed with a terminal illness, it heavily affects their entire family. Not only must they deal with the mental anguish of watching their loved one journey through the end stages of life, but they also need to care for them physically. While hospice provides great relief for the patient and family, sleeplessness, poor eating habits, and emotional draining can still cause what is known as caregiver burnout. When this happens, the family members can opt to use respite hospice care. Patients can receive up to five days of respite care per benefit period. While under respite care, the patient is cared for 24/7 by hospice nursing professionals. This gives the family members a chance to relax and recoup their physical and mental state. Respite care can also be used if family members need to attend a special event and the patient cannot be left alone for long periods. An out-of-town wedding is an example of when a family might use respite care.
The services that hospice care provides are invaluable assets to both the patient and the family members as they navigate difficult and uncertain times. Don’t delay in starting hospice care. Your loved one deserves high-quality care from compassionate and empathetic hospice care professionals. Contact A & H Hospice today for a free consultation about hospice care in Southern California.