Hospice care

Last week’s Hurley Elder Care Law blog explored palliative care services. This week we dig into hospice care and some of the differences between these often-confused services.

Who is appropriate for hospice services?

Hospice care is specifically designed for individuals who are nearing the end of life, typically with a prognosis of six months or less if the disease follows its usual course. The focus shifts from curative treatment to comfort care, emphasizing pain relief, symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support tailored to the patient’s needs and wishes.

When choosing hospice care, the patient foregoes further curative treatments. Hospice care is provided wherever the patient resides and includes a multidisciplinary team approach. Most hospice services are covered under Medicare Part A, Medicaid, and many private insurance plans, usually with no out-of-pocket costs for the hospice diagnosis-related care. This helps ensure the patient receives the necessary support without the burden of significant medical bills.

How often will you receive services?

Hospice care is generally intermittent. Some families opt to bring in private caregivers during this time which is not covered through their hospice benefits. Hospice visits can be daily. In a crisis, a hospice patient can receive nursing assistance for several hours. Longer periods of care times can become available when death is imminent. This time gives the family members time to focus on simply being with their loved one. Most hospice provider also offer 24/7 on-call services.

Hurley Elder Care Law always recommends you create your estate plan before there is a health crisis. Planning gives you and your family so much peace of mind. However, it is very important if your loved one is considering palliative or hospice care, that they make sure they have updated and valid estate planning documents. Call us at 404-843-0121 to speak with our intake specialist. We offer 4 convenient office locations in Atlanta, Duluth, Peachtree City and Woodstock.