What
is Hospice?
What is the benefit of Hospice care and services?
Who pays for Hospice?
When should a decision about entering a hospice program be made?
What type of illnesses commonly require hospice care?
Who do I contact to arrange hospice care?
What is Hospice?
Hospice is palliative care and services designed to meet the unique needs of individuals who are living with a terminal illness. It is a special concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatments. For more information, go to About Hospice. Back to top.
What
is the benefit of Hospice care and services?
Hospice goals include
pain relief and symptom control and recognize that psychological and spiritual
pain is as significant as physical pain.
Addressing all of this requires the skills and approach of an
interdisciplinary team. Back
to top.
Who pays for Hospice?
Hospice is a benefit covered by Medicare for those who are eligible
and by most private insurance plans. Companion Hospice is provided
on the basis of need, not the ability to pay. Back
to top.
When should a decision
about entering a hospice program be made?
At any time during a life-limiting illness, it’s appropriate to
discuss all of a patient’s care options, including hospice. By law,
the decision belongs to the patient. Understandably, most people
are uncomfortable with the idea of stopping an all-out effort
to “beat” their
disease. Hospice staff members are highly sensitive to these
concerns and are always available to discuss them with the patient,
family, and
physician. When a person has a life-limiting illness and there
no longer is an opportunity for medication to cure the disease,
hospice provides
alternative care. While medication is not able to cure the illness,
it can offer comfort and the assistance to help patients have
a better quality
of life.. Back
to top.
What type of illnesses
commonly require hospice care?
Some
of the more common life-limiting illnesses that would require
palliative care include:
•
Advanced Metastatic Cancers
•
Failure of Multiple Organ Systems
•
Final stage of diseases including:
- Congestive Heart Failure Disease (CHF)
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Renal Disease
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS)
Back to top.
Who do I contact to
arrange hospice care?
Contact your physician or Companion Hospice if you, a family member,
or a friend wishes to arrange for hospice care. Once the primary care physician
has given approval, a member of our staff will make arrangements to meet
with you to discuss the hospice benefit.
Back to top.
