Ask Bethany: FAQs
We are committed to offering timely and honest information so families can make an informed decision about hospice and when making care decisions while on hospice.
What is hospice?
Hospice emphasizes palliative, or comfort, care for individuals with a life-limiting illness who are either choosing not to pursue aggressive treatment or no longer have aggressive treatment options available to them. Hospice focuses on the patient and the family as a unit, and provides services to meet physical, emotional, and spiritual needs in the location where the patient resides. Hospice is available to individuals with an expected prognosis of 6 months or shorter.
What services does hospice provide?
Hospice services include the patient and family and are coordinated with your physician. We provide a medical director, RN case manager, hospice aide, social worker, chaplain, and volunteers. Hospice also provides the durable medical equipment, disposable supplies, and medications related to the patient’s hospice diagnosis. We continue to care for families through our bereavement services.
How do I know if my loved one needs hospice?
If your loved one is experiencing some or all of these symptoms, it is a good time to begin discussing hospice:
Unexplained weight loss
Frequent falls
Declining mental alertness
More frequent trips to the ER or multiple hospitalizations
Increasing difficulties with daily tasks, such as bathing, dressing, walking, or eating
We have found that the best way is to simply ask your family member. Ask what their goals are. If they say things like “I don’t want to go the hospital anymore,” “I just want to go home,” or “I’m tired of being in pain,” it’s probably time to have a hospice discussion. If they say they want to continue aggressive treatments or they want to do everything possible, then maybe it’s not quite time to have that discussion.
How can I talk to my family about hospice care?
We suggest focusing on how hospice services can help you and your loved one achieve their goals. Explain that the nurse coming to the home will help them remain pain-free, that the nurse’s aide will help with activities of daily living, that the social worker will locate additional resources and that the chaplain will provide spiritual care and counseling. Explain to them that hospice will help them have the end-of-life experience that they desire.
Is hospice just for cancer patients?
Hospice is not just for people who have cancer. Hospice is available to any individual with an end-stage condition. Nationally, less than 5 percent of hospice patients have cancer as their primary diagnosis. The most prevalent qualifying diagnosis for hospice is Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Other leading diagnoses for hospice include heart disease, stroke and CVA, kidney disease, and COPD.
Is hospice care only for people living at home?
Hospice follows the patient. You can have hospice at home. You can also have hospice in an independent living residence, personal care home, assisted living facility, skilled nursing facility, or hospital. For patients in a nursing or assisted living facility, hospice provides additional care. The facility remains the primary caregiver and continues to provide the same care they already do. For patients who live at home, hospice care supplements the family’s care.
Who makes the decisions about a patient’s care after hospice care begins? Does our primary doctor stay involved?
When a family chooses hospice, they name a physician to act as the patient’s attending physician. This physician is often the primary care physician or sometimes a specialist who knows the patient well. The attending physician, the patient, and the family are all part of the hospice team. The entire team works together so that we can develop an individualized plan of care to meet each patient’s specific needs. Our hospice nurses are required to call the physician for any changes in orders that would affect the plan of care.
I was told by a doctor that if my loved one enters hospice care, they can’t return to the hospital. Is that right?
That’s a question we receive quite often. We promote comfort, so anything that is going to make them more comfortable, we are going to do. If the patient’s comfort or care needs cannot be met at home or in the nursing facility, we will utilize a hospital setting for a short-term period.
Do I have to sign a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) to be admitted to hospice?
The goal of many people choosing hospice is to have a pain-free, peaceful death at home surrounded by loved ones. While most choose to have a DNR to avoid unnecessary medical intervention and hospitalization, patients are not required to have a DNR to choose hospice care.
Who pays for hospice? How are other services paid for when hospice is involved?
Hospice is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurances. The services that are covered include medication, equipment and supplies related to the hospice diagnosis, as well as the patient care team. In addition, if you have a condition that is unrelated to the hospice diagnosis, your insurance continues in the same manner as it did prior to the hospice start date.
