It’s an all too common situation. A family is at the bedside of a loved one who is seriously ill and nearing the end of life. Each member of the family has a different idea of what should be done and what the patient would have wanted.
Far too many people wait until they are in the midst of a health care crisis before thinking about what options are available or what type of care they or their loved ones would have wanted.
Often, by waiting too long to learn about possible options, like hospice care, people end up spending difficult days in the hospital or the emergency room and opportunities to be with loved ones at home are lost.
What Is Hospice Care?
When a family is coping with a serious illness and a cure is no longer possible, hospice provides the type of care most people say they want at the end of life: comfort and dignity. Considered to be the model for high-quality, compassionate care for people with a life-limiting illness, hospice care includes expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support. Care is provided by an inter-disciplinary team of professionals and trained volunteers. The wishes of the patient and family are always at the center of care.
Most hospice care is provided in the home – where the majority of Americans have said they would want to be at this time. Care is also provided in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospice centers, wherever the patient resides.
Who Pays for Hospice?
Hospice is paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans and HMOs, and patients with advanced illness are eligible for hospice when the have a life expectancy of six months or less. Many hospice patients live longer than expected when they begin receiving the high-quality care that the hospice team provides. On average, hospice patients live another 21 days beyond their peers who did not receive hospice services.
In addition, TRU Community Care is a local nonprofit 501[c]3 hospice; we will not deny an eligible hospice patient care due to lack of ability to pay for services.
TRU Community Care provides families with information about care options that help to ensure patients live as fully as possible throughout their entire life.
One of the best ways to make sure you and your loved ones benefit fully from hospice, should you ever need this care, is to talk about it before it becomes an issue. Remember, the sooner you call us, the more we can help. 303.442.0961
