What Is Hospice Care?
Hospice is a holistic medical program that focuses on the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well being of people with a life-limiting illness. Access Hospice supports the care givers and family members involved with the individual. Access Hospice provides these services in an individual's home, assisted living, skilled nursing facility, or anywhere they call home. Our care allows patients to maintain their independence and dignity, while providing valuable support for family members.
People assume that you must have cancer or be actively dying to be on hospice. The truth is, that anyone with a terminal illness, with a life expectancy of 6 months or less, can be on hospice. The sooner an individual elects to use their hospice benefit, the more care and help they receive.
There is an inaccurate perception among the American public that hospice means you've given up. The proven actuality is that in most cases hospice improves the quality of life, and may actually prolong life.
Benefits of Hospice Care
- Will cover medication related to life limiting illness and pain management
- Will cover appropriate medical equipment for care, i.e. hospital bed, oxygen, etc.
- Creative pain and symptom management team
- Personal care aides that assist with bathing, dressing and functional mobility
- Can keep your own physician and have access to hospice medical team
- Emotional, Spiritual, Social and Physical Support
- Music Therapy and Therapeutic Touch
- Respite Services
- Volunteer Services
- Bereavement Support
Who Pays for Hospice Care?
Medicare
Access Home Care and Hospice is reimbursed 100% through medicare for those who are eligible.
Medicaid
Access Home Care and Hospice is reimbursed 100% through medicaid.
Private Insurance
Most plans have a home care and hospice benefit that cover expenses with few, if any, out of pocket costs.
A case study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management reports that patients who chose hospice care lived an average of 29 days longer than similar patients who did not choose hospice care. While studies could not specify why hospice patients lived longer, the research suggests several factors that may contribute to the increased longevity. First, patients who are already in a very weakened condition avoid the risks of over treatment when they make the decision to receive hospice care. Second, entering hospice treatment improves the monitoring and treatments patients receive. Hospice provides in-home care from an interdisciplinary team focused on not only the physical well being of a patient, but also the spiritual and emotional. Third, additional support and training for family caregivers is provided. This may increase the patient's desire to continue living and may make them feel less of a burden to family members. Hospice care is not a choice about cure, it is a choice for the best care.
