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What
is "hospice care"?
Hospice
is a special way of caring for people with terminal illness and their
families, and provides many benefits that aren't often offered in a traditional
health care setting. Hospice and palliative care involves a team-oriented
approach to expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual
support  expressly
tailored to the patient's needs and wishes. Support is provided to the
patient's loved ones as well. Hospice care treats the whole person, offering
support for pain and discomfort, fear and loneliness, anxiety about the
future and concern for family and friends.
Hospice uses a team approach to meet all the needs of a seriously ill
person. This approach includes training family and friends in care techniques,
providing 24-hour telephone support for the caregivers, and providing
bereavement counseling for the family after the loss of a loved one. The
hospice philosophy is that the quality of life should be as important
as the length of life.
What
is "palliative care"?
Palliative
(pronounced pal´e - a tiv) care is an approach to life-threatening
chronic illnesses, especially at the end of life. Palliative care combines
active and compassionate therapies to comfort and support patients and
their families who are living with life-ending illness. Palliative care
strives to meet physical needs through pain relief and maintaining quality
of life while emphasizing the patient's and family's rights to participate
in informed discussion and to make choices. This patient and family centered
approach uses the skills of interdisciplinary team members to provide
a comprehensive continuum of care, including spiritual and emotional needs.
What
does hospice cost?
Hospice
services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance policies
with a hospice benefit, and/or by private pay. Care is provided without
regard to financial status.
What's
involved with caring for a loved one receiving hospice care at home?
It
varies from patient to patient, but we work with you to develop a personal
care plan built around the patient's needs. Every patient of Avalon
Hospice & Palliative Care has an interdisciplinary team of experts
assigned to his or her care. Care teams are made up of physicians, registered
nurses and certified nursing assistances, counselors, chaplains and
trained volunteers. Caregivers are taught to provide for patient needs.
We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide the support
you need.
Who
decides when hospice care starts?
At
any time during a life-limiting illness, it's appropriate to discuss all
of the patient's care options, including hospice. By law, the decision
belongs to the patient. Understandably, most people are uncomfortable
with the idea of stopping an all-out effort to recover from their disease.
Hospice staff members are highly sensitive to these concerns and are always
available to discuss them with the patient, family and physician.
Should
I wait for our physician to raise the possibility of hospice or should
I raise it
first?
The
patient and family should feel free to discuss hospice care at any time
with their physician, other healthcare professionals, clergy or friends.
Does
the doctor stay involved in the patient's care?
Yes.
The patient's doctor is an important member of Avalon Hospice &
Palliative Care's interdisciplinary team and is the contact for all
orders and provides frequent updates of the patient's status.
Is
the home the only place
the patient can receive hospice
care?
The
home is the usual care setting. A family member or a friend assumes the
role of primary caregiver and receives support from Avalon Hospice &
Palliative Care. Patients can also receive care at an inpatient facility
such as a nursing home. We can serve the patient in multiple locations
depending on the patients' needs at a particular time.
What
happens at admission?
Hospice
staff will contact the patient's physician to make sure he or she agrees
that hospice care is appropriate for this patient at this time. (We,
as well as many other hospices may have medical staff available to help
patients who have no physician.) The patient will also be asked to sign
consent and insurance forms. These are similar to the forms patients
sign when they enter a hospital.
The "hospice election form" says that the patient understands
that the care is palliative (that is, comfort care aimed at pain relief
and symptom control) rather than curative. It also outlines the services
available. The form Medicare patients sign also tells how electing the
Medicare Hospice Benefit affects other Medicare coverage.
 Does
someone need to be with the patient at all times?
In
the early weeks of care, it's usually not necessary for someone to be
with the patient all the time. Later, however, since one of the most common
fears of patients is the fear of dying alone, hospice recommends someone
be there continuously. Also, if the patient is not safe being left alone,
hospice will recommend providing 24-hour care.
How
does hospice manage pain and discomfort?
Avalon Hospice and Palliative Care's nurses and doctors are up-to-date
on the latest medications and devices for pain and symptom relief. In
addition, physical and occupational therapists assist patients to be
as mobile and self-sufficient as possible. Avalon Hospice & Palliative
Care believes that emotional and spiritual pain are just as real and
in need of attention as physical pain, so these are addressed as well.
Social Workers and a Chaplain are available to assist family members
as well as patients.
Is
hospice care successful in controlling pain?
Yes.
Using some combination of medications, counseling and therapies, most
patients can attain a level of comfort that is acceptable to them.
Will
medications cause the patient to be drowsy or unable to communicate?
Usually
not. It is the goal of hospice to help patients be as comfortable and
alert as they desire. By constantly consulting with the patient, hospices
have been very successful in reaching this goal.
Is
hospice associated with any religious organization?
 No.
Hospice care is available for everyone without discrimination because
of religious, ethnic, cultural, or economic background. Avalon Hospice
& Palliative Care respects and supports cultural differences in regards
to providing our end-of-life care and grief support
What
happens if the hospice patient condition improves?
If
improvement in the condition occurs and the disease seems to be in remission,
the patient can be discharged from hospice and return to aggressive
curative therapy or go on about his or her daily life.
If a discharged patient should later need to return to hospice care,
Medicare and most private insurance companies will allow additional
coverage for this purpose.
Does hospice do anything to make death come sooner?
Hospice
neither hastens nor postpones dying. Hospice provides specialized knowledge
and presence during the terminal illness.
Does
hospice provide any help after the patient dies?
Yes.
Avalon Hospice & Palliative Care also offers services which include
individual support from professionals and trained volunteers specializing
in grief and loss. Also, offered is group support, specific educational
programs and special memorial events. Hospice provides continuing contact
and support for loved ones and friends for at least a year following
the death of a patient.
Does Avalon Hospice & Palliative Care protect my privacy?
Yes. Avalon Hospice
& Palliative Care complies with all privacy and protection regulations,
including HIPAA. Click here to read our policy.
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