What is hospice?
Hospice is a special way of caring for people who are terminally ill, and for their family.
This care includes physical care and counseling. Hospice care is provided by either a public agency or a private company, approved by Medicare and/or Medicaid. It is for all age groups, including children, adults and the elderly during the final stages of life. The goal of hospice is to care for you and your family, not to cure your illness.
If you qualify for hospice care, you can get medical and supportive services, including nursing care, medical social services, doctor services, counseling, homemaker services, and other types of services. You will have a team of doctors, nurses, home health aides, social workers, counselors and trained volunteers to help you and your family cope with your illness. In many cases, you and your family can stay together in the comfort of your home. Depending upon your condition, you may have hospice care in a hospice facility, hospital, or nursing home.
How does hospice work?
Your doctor and the hospice will work with you and your family to set up a plan of care that meets your needs. The plan of care includes the hospice services you need that are covered by Medicare and/or Medicaid.
The care that the hospice gives you is meant to help you make the most of the last months of life by giving you comfort and relief from pain. The focus is on care, not cure.
As a hospice patient, there is a team of people what will help take care of you.
They are…
- Your family
- A doctor
- A nurse
- Clergy and other counselors
- A social worker
- Trained volunteers
What is respite care?
Respite care is care given to a hospice patient by another caregiver so that the usual caregiver can rest. As a hospice patient, you may have one person that takes care of you every day. That person might be a family member. Sometimes they need someone to take care of you for a short time while they do other things that need to be done. During a period of respite care, you will be cared for in a Medicare-approved facility, such as a hospice facility, hospital or nursing home.
What’s does Medicare/Medicaid hospice cover ?
- Doctor services
- Nursing care
- Medical equipment (such as a wheelchair and walkers)
- Medical supplies (such as bandages and catheters)
- Drugs for symptom control and pain relief
- Short-term care in the hospital, including respite care
- Home health aides and homemaker services
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Social work services
- Dietary counseling
- Counseling to help you and your family with grief and loss
What does Medicare/Medicaid hospice not cover ?
- Treatment to cure your terminal illness
- Care from another hospice that was not set up by your hospice
- Care from another provider that is the same care that you must get from your hospice
What will I have to pay for hospice care?
Medicare/Medicaid pays the hospice for you hospice care. You may have to pay:
- No more than $5 for each prescription drug and other similar product.
Although many, if not most, hospices do not charge anything for their services, the hospice can charge up to $5 for each prescription for outpatient drugs and/or other similar products for pain relief and symptom control.
- 5% of the Medicare payment amount for inpatient respite care.
For example, if Medicare pays $100 per day for inpatient respite care, you will pay $5 per day. You can stay in a Medicare-approved hospital or nursing home up to 5 days each time your receive respite care. There is no limit to the number of times you can get respite care. The amount you pay for respite care can change each year.
How do I find a hospice agency ?
To find a hospice program that services your neighborhood, use our online Louisiana-Mississippi Hospice Locator -- ask your doctor or your home health agency -- or contact us for assistance.
