WHAT IS HOSPICE & HOW CAN IT HELP?

Hospice is a special way of caring for a person who is terminally ill. The person has the desire to remain at home, pain free until the end of their life. Persons that qualify for hospice services are those with the following disease processes:

Cancer, Heart Disease, Pulmonary Disease, Dementia or Alzheimer

The person’s physician must certify that the patient has a terminal / life limiting illness with a life expectancy of six months or less. Any diagnosis other than cancer must meet guidelines established by the State. Patient will be assessed by a RN and a plan of care will be established. Hospice services are provided by Nurses, Aides, Medical Social Worker, Chaplain and Volunteer services to meet all the needs of the family and the patient. Hospice also provides medications, medical equipment (oxygen, beds, bedside commodes) and supplies (diapers, depends) that might be required by the patient.

Hospice Coverage: Medicare Part A covers hospice services if patient is expected to die within six months. Hospice services can be provided for two 90-day periods and an unlimited number of additional 60-day periods.Patient or the patient’s health care guardian must indicate in writing your decision to receive hospice care instead of other Medicare benefits.

Hospice Costs: Deductibles and coinsurance don’t apply to hospice care. Patient is not responsible for any services received under Hospice. Inpatient respite care is time a patient spends in a hospice facility to allow the caregiver to rest. Medicare covers no more than five respite days in a row, each time a patient uses it.

Patients identified for hospice services are evaluated by an RN to establish patient needs and service eligibility. The RN follows up with informing the physician of the evaluation, and upon instructions from the physician, the RN admits the patient into the hospice program.

Our mission at ‘Star Hospice’ is dedicated to serving persons and their loved ones during the process of dying and grieving utilizing our comprehensive services supported by compassionate care.

Service Coverage Area: Odessa, Midland, Monahans, Kermit, Andrews, Crane, Hobbs, Seminole, Brownfield, Plainview, Lubbock

Payment Sources: Medicare, Medicaid, Private Insurance, Private Pay

Qualifying For Insurance Payment: Based on individual coverage qualified ‘Star Care’ staff members will evaluate each patient clinical requirements, payor sources and qualifying criteria to provide appropriate & clinically focused services in compliance with State & Federal guidelines for these services.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hospice Services:

At any time during a life-limiting illness, it's appropriate to discuss all of a patient's care options, including hospice. By law the decision belongs to the patient. Understandably, most people are uncomfortable with the idea of stopping aggressive efforts to beat the disease. Hospice staff members are highly sensitive to these concerns and always available to discuss them with the patient and family.

The patient and family should feel free to discuss hospice care at any time with their physician, other health care professionals, clergy or friends.

Most physicians know about hospice. If your physician wants more information about hospice, it is available from the National Council of Hospice Professionals Physician Section, medical societies, state hospice organizations, or the National Hospice Helpline 1-800-658-8898 FREE. In addition, physicians and all others can also obtain information on hospice from the American Cancer Society, the American Association of Retired Persons, and the Social Security Administration.

Certainly If the patient's condition improves and the disease seems to be in remission, patients can be discharged from hospice and return to aggressive therapy or go on about their daily life. If the discharged patient should later need to return to hospice care, Medicare and most private insurance will allow additional coverage for this purpose.

One of the first things the hospice program will do is contact the patient's physician to make sure he or she agrees that hospice care is appropriate for this patient at this time. (Most hospices have medical staff available to help patients who have no physician.) The patient will be asked to sign consent and insurance forms. These are similar to the forms patients sign when they enter a hospital. The so-called "hospice election form" says that the patient understands that the care is palliative (that is, 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.

Your hospice provider will assess your needs, recommend any equipment, and help make arrangements to obtain any necessary equipment. Often the need for equipment is minimal at first and increases as the disease progresses. In general, hospice will assist in any way it can to make home care as convenient, clean and safe as possible.

There's no set number. One of the first things a hospice team will do is to prepare an individualized care plan that will, among other things, address the amount of caregiving needed by the patient. Hospice staff visit regularly and are always accessible to answer medical questions, provide support, and teach caregivers.

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 generally recommends someone be there continuously. While family and friends do deliver most of the care, hospices provide volunteers to assist with errands and to provide a break and time away for primary caregivers.

It's never easy and sometimes can be quite hard. At the end of a long, progressive illness, nights especially can be very long, lonely and scary. So, hospices have staff available around the clock to consult by phone with the family and make night visits if appropriate. To repeat: Hospice can also provide trained volunteers to provide "respite care," to give family members a break and/or provide companionship to the patient.

Hospice patients are cared for by a team of physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors, hospice certified nursing assistants, clergy, therapists, and volunteers - and each provides assistance based on his or her own area of expertise. In addition, hospices provide medications, supplies, equipment, and hospital services, related to the terminal illness. and additional helpers in the home, if and when needed.

Hospice neither hastens nor postpones dying. Just as doctors and midwives lend support and expertise during the time of child birth, hospice provides its presence and specialized knowledge during the dying process.

No. Although 90% of hospice patient time is spent in a personal residence, some patients live in nursing homes or hospice centers.

Hospice believes that emotional and spiritual pain are just as real and in need of attention as physical pain, so it can address each. Hospice nurses and doctors are up to date on the latest medications and devices for pain and symptom relief. In addition, physical and occupational therapists can assist patients to be as mobile and self sufficient as they wish, and they are often joined by specialists schooled in music therapy, art therapy, massage and diet counseling. Finally, various counselors, including clergy, are available to assist family members as well as patients.

Very high,Using some combination of medications, counseling and therapies, most patients can attain a level of comfort that is acceptable to them.

Usually not, It is the goal of hospice to have the patient as pain free and alert as possible. By constantly consulting with the patient, hospices have been very successful in reaching this goal.

No. While some churches and religious groups have started hospices (sometimes in connection with their hospitals), these hospices serve a broad community and do not require patients to adhere to any particular set of beliefs.

Hospice coverage is widely available. It is provided by Medicare nationwide, by Medicaid in 39 states, and by most private insurance providers. To be sure of coverage, families should, of course, check with their employer or health insurance provider.

Medicare covers all services and supplies for the hospice patient related to the terminal illness. In some hospices, the patient may be required to pay a 5% or $5 "co-payment" on medication and a 5% co-payment for respite care. You should find out about any co-payment when selecting a hospice.

The first thing hospice will do is assist families in finding out whether the patient is eligible for any coverage they may not be aware of. Barring this, most hospices will provide for anyone who cannot pay using money raised from the community or from memorial or foundation gifts.

Hospice provides continuing contact and support for caregivers for at least a year following the death of a loved one. Most hospices also sponsor bereavement groups and support for anyone in the community who has experienced a death of a family member, a friend, or similar losses.

STAR HOSPICE

(Odessa, TX, Hobbs, NM)