HOSPICE CARE

 

Hospice is all about receiving the care and comfort appropriate for the end-of-life journey, and is intended to be a support for the final months of a person’s life. By seeking hospice care, a patient can be assured that the quality of life important to them will be upheld by our nurses, social worker, chaplain, and grief counselor.

Hospice is appropriate for patients who have been given a life expectancy of six months or less, but as the course of an illness is impossible to predict, individuals may remain in hospice care long after this time.

Hospice seeks to neither hasten nor prolong life. In seeking hospice care, a patient chooses to forgo life-sustaining treatments and instead receives comfort care, where symptom and pain management are the focus.The care provided is patient-centered, where every effort is made to support the patient in the way they would choose.  

Hospice Services are fully covered by Medicare and most private insurances, making the above benefits free of charge to most patients.  Please see the Medicare Hospice Benefits booklet for more information.

Our Patient Care Team

Nurse Case Managers

Registered nurses who provide care for patients in their home or at our Madrone House. They educate and encourage patient caregivers, supporting them as well as the patient. 

Registered Nurses & Licensed Vocational Nurses

Provide nursing care and additional support for patients and their caregivers in the home or at our Madrone House.  They are available 24/7 by phone to help with medical questions, and will visit the patient to provide medical care, support hygiene and grooming, and can even help with light housework in an effort to facilitate a comfortable atmosphere.

Social Worker

Available to provide emotional and social support to the patient and their caregivers. They can help an individual and their family navigate practical concerns, such as financial and social issues, and they can help coordinate additional supports outside of hospice care if needed.

Grief Counselor

On hand to provide support and guidance to those who have lost loved ones. Our Grief Counselor will get in touch with you to help in the long process of bereavement.

Medical Director

Supervises all aspects of patient medical support, working to coordinate care and ensure quality.

Volunteers

Patient care volunteers can be arranged to provide additional in-home care such as companionship, light personal care, and practical tasks in the home. This can provide a break to those caring for a loved one.

Chaplain

Available to provide spiritual care and counseling separate from any one particular religion.  They can arrange and administer religious rites and/or services.

 FAQs

  • Hospice is concerned with providing comfort and care for dying patients, and does not administer any medical care intending to prolong life. Hospice care most often happens in a patient’s home, but can also be provided in specialty Hospice Houses when 24/7 care is necessary. Hospice can also happen in nursing facilities, hospitals, or other facilities.

    Any person with a terminal condition given approximately six months to live can access hospice care, no matter their age, religion, race, or illness. Hospice services are covered by Medicare, MediCal, and most private insurances, presenting little or no expense to the patient.

  • Hospice care is provided by a team of people who all have different tasks. A Registered Nurse will assess a patient and develop a care plan with the individual and their loved ones that will meet the patient’s needs for pain management and symptom control. In many cases, a loved one and/or family member will act as a patient’s ‘primary caregiver,’ working as a point person for nurses who will make regular visits to the patient’s home. The care will vary depending on individual situations, but hospice staff will always be available by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

  • A potential patient or loved one can contact us at any time, even if they’re unsure if hospice is the right thing or not. Our team can offer support with end-of-life planning, answer questions and provide guidance.

    If a patient has received a terminal diagnosis, or is showing signs indicating that they are approaching their end-of-life transition, please give us a call to set up an evaluation. End-of-life signs can include increased overall weakness, excessive sleeping, disinterest in eating, and a general withdrawal from socialization.

  • Called the ‘Interdisciplinary Team’ (IDT), the hospice team comprises:

    • Hospice Physician/Medical Director

    • Case Manager/Registered Nurses

    • Licensed Vocational Nurses

    • Social Worker

    • Chaplain

    • Grief Counselor

    • Speech, Physical, and/or Occupational Therapists

    • Volunteers

  • The Hospice Interdisciplinary Team will provide the following services:

    • Management of pain and illness-related symptoms

    • Assistance with the emotional and spiritual challenges related to death and dying

    • Access to necessary medication, medical supplies, and equipment

    • Support and education to family and/or loved ones regarding patient care

    • Access to physical therapy and speech therapy

    • Respite care for limited periods, where a patient may be transferred to a 24/7 care facility

    • Grief Counseling to bereaved family and/or loved ones

  • Hospice providers train volunteers to provide in-home care as needed for hospice patients. Such volunteers may be available to provide relief to primary caregivers (family member or loved one who is the primary support for a patient) by sitting with a patient, helping with household chores, and supporting some personal care for the patient. Hospice also has volunteers that help with non-patient related tasks, such as administrative/office tasks, fundraising, and support with hospice-related enterprises.

  • Hospice care is available to any person who has a terminal diagnosis that will run its course in six months or less. Hospice is considered as being for a patient’s family/loved ones as well as for the patient.

    Some hospice patients remain on hospice services for longer than six months as pursuing comfort care can extend life.

  • Most patients receiving hospice care are covered by the Medicare Hospice Benefit, which covers nearly all aspects of these services, presenting little to no expense to patients or their family/loved ones. Additionally, most private health plans and MediCal provide coverage for hospice. In the majority of situations, hospice is a free service. See the Medicare Hospice Benefits booklet for more information.

    Transitioning into our 24/7 Madronehouse, however, is not covered by insurance, and comes with a daily room and board fee. Families may inquire about receiving an adjusted rate.

  • Most hospice patients receive care in their homes, in the home of a family member or loved one, or in a residential facility. Hospice staff will come to you wherever your home may be.

Myths & Facts

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Myths & Facts

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Myths & Facts • Myths & Facts •

  • Hospice is based on intermittent visits, but patients may call hospice 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and if a patient is in need, a hospice nurse will come no matter the time.

  • Hospice care generally takes place in a person’s home, but can also happen in assisted living facilities, nursing homes, or wherever a person resides.

  • Hospice care can help people change what they may hope for.  By focusing on quality of life as determined by individual hope and choice, hospice helps fulfill a hope for a life lived fully for as long as they have left.

  • A hospice patient must have a diagnosis of six months to live, and Hospice is intended for that entire end-of-life journey. It is best to access hospice care sooner to get as many of the benefits of hospice care as possible - spending months rather than days with a focus on comfort and quality is generally regarded as an ideal way to move through the end-of-life process.

  • Hospice is predicated on the directive to neither hasten nor prolong death. This means that our medical team will only be supporting the patient in terms of comfort and quality of life, managing symptoms rather than addressing the terminal condition. Interestingly, studies show that terminal patients receiving comfort focused care actually live longer than those who do not.

  • Insurances pay for hospice care for as long as a patient meets medical criteria. This can result in a person receiving hospice for longer than six months.  If a patient improves and no longer meets the criteria for hospice care, they can be ‘graduated,’ and they can re-enroll in hospice care later as needed.

  • Choosing hospice doesn’t necessarily mean that a person’s death is imminent. While hospice care is focused on patients with a life expectancy of six months or less, many individuals actually stabilize and improve, and are then discharged from hospice care. The earlier a person begins hospice care, the more opportunity there is to stabilize the medical condition and provide comfort.

  • Hospice is paid for by Medicare, MediCal, and most private insurances, presenting little to no cost to patients and their families/loved ones.

  • In the majority of cases, our team of professionals work with patients in their homes or wherever they reside. Though Madrone has a six-bed Hospice House, we seek first to maximize patient comfort, and more often than not, that means supporting the patient to remain in the comfort of their home.

If you have any questions, please contact us