Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I know when it's time to enter a hospice program?
It is appropriate to start thinking about hospice at any time during a
life-limiting illness. Usually patients and families start thinking about
hospice when they are tired of frequent hospitalizations, especially when
aggressive treatment is less effective than it had been in the past.
2. How do I get started in a hospice program?
The patient or family can discuss the possibility of hospice with the physician
for his/her advice. By law, the right to choose a specific hospice belongs to
the patient, so you should feel free to explore options and pick a hospice you
feel comfortable with based on factors such as their philosophy of care and
service area.
3. What kind of service does hospice provide?
Hospice provides a team of experts trained to provide symptom management,
especially pain control, as well as other symptoms such as nausea and anxiety.
This interdisciplinary team is comprised of registered nurses, home health
aides, counselors, social workers, and volunteers. In addition, bereavement
services will continue to be provided to the family for one year following the
patient's death.
4. Who pays for hospice services?
For patients over 65 years of age, Medicare generally pays for all hospice
care; for those under 65, Medicaid or private insurances frequently pay for
hospice care. Many hospices have funds available for patients who have no
insurance coverage.
5. Can a patient who shows signs of recovery be returned to regular treatment?
Yes, if the patient's condition improves, the patient can be discharged from
hospice and return to aggressive therapy. If a patient later needs to return to
hospice, he/she may do so at any time.
6. Does a patient have to have cancer to be in hospice?
No, many hospice patients have a variety of life-limiting diseases such as
heart or respiratory problems, ALS, Dementia, Parkinson's, and are appropriate
for hospice as long as their physician is willing to state that their illness
is limited to six months if the disease runs its normal course.
7. Where hospice services are provided?
Most hospice services are provided in the patient's place of residence,
wherever that may be, in their own home, in a nursing home, personal care home,
or assisted living facility. Occasionally patients are not able to stay at home
and the hospice social worker assists the family with facility arrangements.
Many times the hospice team is able to continue seeing the patient after
placement in a facility.
8. What kind of things do volunteers do?
Volunteers are specially trained individuals who visit patients in their homes
or nursing homes to provide companionship or to stay with the patient to give
the family much needed breaks and a chance to get out of the house for a while.
Volunteers may also do light cleaning and errands to assist patients who are
unable to get out.