Hospice & Home Care

Providing Compassionate Care to Terminal Patients

Hospice is a program to provide comprehensive palliative care to terminally ill patients. The hospice philosophy of care "affirms support and care for people in the last phases of incurable disease so they may live as fully and as comfortably as possible. Hospice recognizes dying as part of the normal process of living and focuses on maintaining the quality of remaining life. Hospice affirms life and neither hastens nor postpones death." (National Hospice Organization)

Hospice care can be provided to patients at home, in a hospice-run residential facility or even in the hospital for certain situations. For at-home care of patients, hospital admission is available for short periods of time for caregiver respite. Some hospice patients elect to be cared for in the hospital setting if death is imminent.

Unfortunately, many patients delay their admission into the hospice program until very late in the course of their illness and therefore miss out on the benefit of the full six months of counseling, family support and attention to quality of life.

Hospice Care Is Covered by Medicare

Since 1983, hospice care is paid for as a Medicare benefit for those patients who have a life expectancy of six months or less.

For patients who wish to remain at home with a family caregiver, hospice generally provides home visits by a skilled nurse and health aide as well as other supportive services such as therapists, counselors, volunteers and clergy. Medicare reimburses for 100% of the medications, doctors' visits and nursing care in the home.

Hospice care can also be provided in a hospice residential facility that is set up to be a home-away-from-home. Here too, Medicare will pay for the nursing and medical care but the patient is responsible for paying for room and board charges.

Find a Hospice Program

To find a hospice program in your area, please visit the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. To learn more about how hospices work, please visit www.hospiceinfo.org.