When to Choose Hospice Care
Hospice is comprehensive care provided to patients who are in the terminal phase of their disease process and who have a life expectancy of six months or less. Hospice care is paid for by Medicare, Medi-Cal and nearly all insurance carriers.
The main focus of hospice care is on comfort, dignity and holistic support for a patient and their caregivers. This vast majority of this care is provided in the patient’s home (or any place they call home). The goal is to decrease or avoid the use of aggressive, and often futile, life prolonging medical care for terminally ill patients.
Hospice may be considered as a reasonable option when:
- There is substantial decline, despite medical treatment; this decline can be physical and/or cognitive and may include increased symptoms (like pain).
- Quality of life is more important than quantity of days; so, the purpose is to be comfortable and not seek curative medical treatment.
- Life expectancy is no longer than six months, as determined by physicians.
- The individual is in the end stage of Alzheimer’s or dementia.
A licensed medical professional (Physician, Nurse Practitioner, Nurse or Social Worker) is available to answer your questions and to help you determine whether the hospice benefit is the right choice for you or a loved one.