Hospice

Choosing the right hospice can make all the difference in well-being of the individuals last days.
Use this Elder Care Resource and Decision Guide to help you feel comfortable and satisfied that an informed decision was made selecting the appropriate hospice care from the right provider that fits your family's budget.



Explore

Hospice
Hospice care is for any individual who has a life-threatening or terminal illness with a prognosis of six months or less. Services are not intended to provide a cure for the illness, they are to provide comfort and to manage symptoms of the illness. Hospice staff will make regular visits to provide care services and assessments. Services can be provided in the individuals family home, nursing home, hospital or hospice centers.

Many individuals will experience pain or other serious symptoms as a life threatening or terminal illness progresses.  Hospice works to keep the individual comfortable and pain-free. The hospice team works to provide comprehensive medical care along with physical and emotional support.  Hospice nurses, social workers and chaplains are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Requesting Services
You can inquire about hospice services at any time. To begin receiving hospice services your doctor will need to determine and recommend services.  Once you find the hospice of your choice have your doctor give you a referral notice. The hospice staff will contact the individual's doctor to determine appropriate and needed services. You will need to sign the necessary HIPAA consent and release forms for care to begin.

Hospice services can be provided within 48 hours of the doctor referral. Urgent situations may be available sooner, depending on the provider.


Learn.

Is Hospice appropriate for your needs? The individual can no longer be receiving curative or experimental medical care. End of life planning and discussions are difficult. Pre-planning allows the entire planning to share their thoughts and wishes. This is an important step to reduce stress, grief and potential conflicts among family members. Discuss your concerns and issues with your doctor, counselor, health professional, or a Geriatric Care Manager.  

There are many myths and misconceptions about hospice care.
Learn more about the Myths and Facts of hospice.


Hospice Benefits
Counseling services for the individual and family are a critical benefit provided by the hospice team. This support is typically continued in the form of bereavement support to the family after the individuals death. Bereavement support can be through telephone calls, visits, and support groups for up to one year. Often the family or a family member will be referred for individual counseling.

The individual and family should play an active role in the development of the end-of-life care plan and not shelter the individual from friends and
          well-wishers paying their last respects.

Hospice Services
The hospice team will create a comprehensive care plan to provide, as needed, a range of services:


Hospice Costs
Hospice care is a covered benefit under Medicare for individuals over age 65 with a prognosis of 6 months or less. Private medical health policies and HMO's also provide hospice benefits to individuals under age 65. Medicaid in 43 states and the District of Columbia also provide hospice for individuals without Medicare and medical health insurance.

An individual can remain in hospice care beyond six months if a physician re-certifies that the patient is terminally ill.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) certifies the more than 90% of hospices that provide Medicare covered hospice services. The family should have very little or no out of pocket expense with hospice care.

Advanced Directives
Advanced directives are the legal method to communicate your end-of-life wishes. The laws governing advance directives vary from state to state.  While you do not need an attorney to complete an advance directive, we highly recommend you consult with an elder attorney to properly guide you.


Find

Use this resource and decision guide to save valuable time and money in finding the best Hospice provider in your community.  

We recommend you begin your search using our two free evaluation tools:

1. Print the Checklist for common questions you should ask.
2. Review the Client Satisfaction Ratings and comments for Hospice providers.

If you have questions, please feel free to call us toll-free at 1-866-443-1629 to talk with a Senior Advisor.

Find Hospice Providers

Find Hospice Facilities


Compare

We have created these useful tools to help you compare the different Hospice providers in your area; and the different type of elder care providers available.

Chart of Care Options for Seniors at a glance


Checklist for Hospice Providers



Select

Once you have completed your research and narrowed your choices, it is now time to select 2 or 3 Assisted Living Communities to personally tour and interview.

Choose your preferred method to begin this selection process:

1. Complete the Request for Assistance form in each of the Hospice Provider's information page you wish to interview and/or tour.
2. 
   
3. Call our Certified Senior Advisors for free assistance. You can call us toll-free at 1-866-443-1629 or through our Contact Us page.
4. 
   
5. Contact a Geriatric Care Manager near your home.

Resources

Hospice Foundation of America
Every person is different, and the paths to death will vary. The Hospice Foundation of America describes a general picture of what to expect before, during, and after the dying process. 
 
Compassion and Choices
Compassion & Choices is a nonprofit organization working to improve care and expand choice at the end of life. As a national organization with over 60 chapters and 30,000 members, we help patients and their loved ones face the end of life with calm facts and choices of action during a difficult time.