Is hospice just for people with cancer?
No. Hospice care can be provided to people with end-stage heart disease, dementia, and lung disease, in addition to cancer and other diseases. The focus of hospice is to support the best quality of life that is possible, not only for the person who is ill, but for his or her loved ones. What services are covered? Hospice nurses evaluate what the person and family need in terms of physical, emotional and spiritual support and coordinate care with a physician and a team of health professionals. These services are usually covered by Medicare and other commercial insurance. Family members can also receive bereavement support for up to one year. Besides the support services, the patient’s primary physician can continue to bill Medicare under its Part B benefit. What isn’t covered? Hospice insurers, including Medicare, don’t pay for a round-the-clock home nursing, although they may cover a limited amount. Family and friends are the primary caregivers, with 24-hour access to health profession
Hospice services are available to anyone of any age who has been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. HospiceCare cares for people with a variety of diseases including AIDS, ALS, Alzheimer’s, cancer, dementia, congestive heart failure and lung disease, among others. • When should hospice be considered? Hospice provides care for those whose illness is beyond curative treatment. Hospice focuses on quality of life, and is most effective when commenced before the end stage of illness. Families often say they wish they had known about hospice sooner in the illness. • Can a hospice patient who shows signs of recovery or who changes his mind be returned to regular medical treatment? Certainly. If improvement in the condition occurs and the disease seems to be in remission, the patient can be discharged from hospice and return to aggressive therapy if they wish. The patient can be readmitted to hospice should any changes occur. • What does the hospice admission process involve? When a patie
Hospice can help anyone with a life-limiting illness. Slightly fewer than half of our patients have cancer; many have congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal failure or Alzheimer’s disease. Q: Is hospice just for the elderly? A:Hospice can help anyone with a life-limiting illness. We create a unique care plan for each patient as an individual. For example, we might give special attention to the social and existential struggles of a young man who is terminally ill, and special bereavement-related attention to his family. Q: Do I really have to have less than six months to live? A: You have to have a terminal diagnosis with a probability of six or fewer months to live in order to receive hospice services. However, you are not obligated to die within that time period. Some patients are recertified after six months, and occasionally a patient “graduates” because his/her condition improves. Q: How can Hospice of The Gorge help if I’m not ready to go on hospice
