What is Hospice
Hospice is medical care to improve the quality of life for people with a terminal illness. It offers physical, emotional, and spiritual support for patients and their families. When goals transition from cure for a life-limiting illness to comfort care, hospice enables patients and their loved one to live life as fully as possible.
Hospice care wherever you call home
Because many people feel comfortable and secure at home, patients and families often choose in-home hospice care. Patients may also get care at a nursing facility, hospital, or wherever they call home.
The hospice provider works with families and doctors to create a plan for care. Patients and their family have 24/7 access to care, but member of the hospice team are only in the home or nursing facility as outlined in the care plan. For in-home hospice, families provide a significant amount of care, with support, time and coaching from the hospice team.
The hospice team includes:
- A hospice doctor to manage pain and other symptoms
- A nurse for medical needs and help for caregivers
- Hospice aides to help with personal needs and tasks
- A chaplain for spiritual care
- Social workers to help with emotional and financial needs
- Volunteers for companionship or light errands
- Read more about your hospice team
Medical equipment, medications and therapy
Medical equipment for the hospice diagnosis is included in Medicare benefits. Equipment includes medical beds, geriatric chairs, walkers, oxygen equipment and more.
Prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications related to the patients terminal illness are provided at little or no cost.
Most personal care supplies are also provided to the patient.
Medicare often covers physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech
therapy and dietary counseling.
The Medicare respite benefit
Respite care helps family caregivers to get much-needed rest or time for important events. Medicare benefits pay for patient transport and up to five consecutive days of inpatient care at a Medicare-approved nursing facility or hospital. You can get respite care more than once, but only on an occasional basis.
Paying for hospice care
Hospice is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance companies. Hospice is a financial relief for many families because services such as medication, equipment and supplies, are covered by hospice care benefits – with few or no out-of-pocket expenses.
Learn about the Medicare hospice benefit and insurance questions.
Grief counseling
Care doesn’t end with a patient’s passing. Compassus, has trained bereavement counselors and chaplains to guide families through loss. The Medicare benefit includes 13 months of grief counseling after the death of a loved one.
Starting hospice
Step One:
Visit the ‘Locations’ page to find the program nearest you. We’ll help you learn more about the process or schedule a no-obligation consultation.
Step Two:
Our admissions coordinator will promptly contact all responsible parties to coordinate family consultations and/or patient assessments.
Step Three:
Our admission team consults, evaluates and initiates care, if appropriate. We bring hospice care to where the patient calls home, whether a private home, nursing home or long-term care community.
