Hospice for End of Life Care
By: AARP Outreach & Services | Source: AARP.org | | October 1, 2003
What is hospice?
Hospice cares for people who are terminally ill. Its team of specially trained professionals provides unique expert care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support that are tailored to the individual patient's needs and wishes. The focus is on caring, not curing. Recognizing the tremendous toll that illness takes on family members, the hospice team also comforts and supports the patient's loved ones, both during the illness and through bereavement counseling.
Who can receive hospice care?
Hospice is available to anyone regardless of illness, culture, age, gender or financial status. It requires the patient has a terminal illness, has been certified by a medical professional as having a prognosis of six months or less, and does not wish to pursue curative treatment.
How does hospice work?
After hospice receives a referral from a medical professional, members of the hospice staff visit the patient to assess the patient's overall needs, as well as to set up a care team. The patient, hospice, and the primary caregiver (usually a member of the family) work together to create a care plan.
From the moment a patient enters hospice care, he or she can get a wide range of services, including:
- Physician services
- Regular home visits by registered and licensed practical nurses
- Home health aides to assist in activities of daily living, such as dressing and bathing
- Social work and counseling services
- Medical equipment, such as hospital beds and oxygen equipment
- Medical supplies, such as bandages and catheters
- Pain management and symptom control
- Volunteer support to assist exhausted caregivers and family members
- Specialized services, such as physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and nutritional counseling
Where do I get hospice services?
You don't have to go anywhere - hospice comes to you. Whether you are in a nursing home, hospice facility, hospital or in your own home, hospice professionals provide services wherever you live and are most comfortable. This flexibility in service is part of the hospice mission to help patients live their lives as they wish.
How do I pay for hospice?
If you have Medicare, it can pay for hospice. Many other types of health plans, including health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs) cover costs related to hospice care. If you have Medicaid, it can also pay for hospice.
How do I find a hospice program in my community?
Your physician and other medical professions know of the hospice programs in your area. Two other resources are the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Hospice Foundation of America.
AARP Resources
Original Medicare: Getting Care in a Hospital, Nursing Home, at Home and with Hospice. AARP explains what Medicare Part A covers in hospice care.
Dealing with Pain: What to do about pain and how to deal with it.
Checklist: 11 Ways to Ensure Proper Pain Management. There's no need to stay in pain. The AARP Bulletin gives 11 easy steps to manage your pain.
Finding Good Health Information Online: Just because information is online doesn't mean it's accurate; how to tell good sites from bad.
Additional Resources
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization: Includes information and a database to locate a hospice that serves your area.
How to Select a Hospice Program: A consumer's guide from the National Hospice Foundation.
Find these books online at Barnes & Noble.com.
Hospice Choice: In Pursuit of a Peaceful Death, Marcia Lattanzi-Licht, Galen Miller, John Maloney, Simon & Schuster Trade, 1998.
Hospice Handbook: A Complete Guide, Vol. 1, Larry Beresford, Little, Brown & Company, 1993.
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