While most hospice services are designed to care for sufferers in their own homes, associates may provide care in assisted living or skilled nursing features if appropriate. Some hospice solutions also have their own features or are associated with hospice programs, such as Scripps. Scripps’ hospice care ensures that Scripps patients have continuity of care. The hospice group continues to help coordinate proper care with primary physicians as well as specialists as may be required.
Hospice benefits not only sufferers, but their close relatives and friends as well. Team members provide support for those facing the loss of a loved one. In addition to offering bereavement services after a patient passes, hospice can be there to help loved ones with the grieving process.
Most insurance companies, such as Medicare, will cover hospice for qualified sufferers. Although many sufferers are older, hospice care is available to sufferers of any age, including children who have a terminal diagnosis with limited life span. Generally, a physician must agree that a patient’s life span is less than six months in order for hospice care to be covered; however, because it is nearly impossible to predict exactly how long a patient will live, some sufferers may receive hospice services beyond six months.
Like hospice care, modern care also concentrates on offering support and comfort to very ill sufferers, concentrates on the whole person and evaluates the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. Unlike hospice services, however, modern care is offered to sufferers who are still being treated for their illnesses and are not necessarily near the end of life; in fact, many make a full recovery. Palliative care is provided in parallel with curative treatments and can be a tremendous resource. A patent with cancer, for example, may receive modern care to help with the side effects of chemotherapy treatment or can evaluate and treat pain.