When is time for Hospice Care?
Making the decision to contact Hospice can seem like an impossible choice. In fact, many patients, their Families / Caregivers, and Physicians wait too long before contacting Hospice. Dynamic Hospice Care’s focus on patient-specific care plans and our comfort care approach can help relieve patient/family stress, aid in pain relief/reduction, and aid in overall quality of life for the patient needing the hospice care services.
Hospice Care is palliative in nature and patients are usually referred when a life-limiting condition reaches the stage that the patient family and physician can focus on disease management rather than cure.
What are Some Pre-Hospice Questions to be Asking?
Is the patient currently living with a life-limiting disease affecting the Cardiac system, Pulmonary system, Respiratory system, Neurological system, Cognitive functionalities (Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Parkinson’s), or a form of Cancer?
Hospice Care eligibility is dependent on patient diagnosis. Hospice Care provides a care-plan that highlights the patient’s needs/wants with a focus on comfort care and quality of life for patients nearing their end of life.
Has the Patient declined or had a change in condition, which
End-of-Life Comfort Care would benefit their overall quality of life?
Dynamic Hospice Care clinicians work with the Patient, their Family, Caregiver, and loved ones to create a patient-specific care plan that provides Emotional/Spiritual and Medical care that promotes Quality of Life through the Hospice Care Journey.
Has the Patient had the opportunity to sit down with a Spiritual or Emotional Counselor, Social Worker, or Medical professional to discuss Advanced Directives?
Dynamic Hospice Care has Spiritual Counselors who can discuss the patient’s spiritual and religious wishes. We also have a team of Social Worker’s, who can assist in coordinating additional non-medical care needs, estate planning resources, or patient-specific goals, and Physicians, who can discuss medical wishes, such as DNR or care-specific goals/wants.
discussing HOSPICE WITH YOUR FAMILY
Hospice Care can be a difficult topic to talk with a loved one about. Whether you are the patient needing hospice care or a family member/caregiver suggesting hospice care for a patient, the conversation can be a tough one. There are many misconceptions about Hospice Care and many times, hospice care begins too late. Hospice Care can provide Patient Comfort, access to DME and Medications, and clinician visits without out-of-pocket expenses that someone may not receive if they weren’t receiving Hospice Care.
It is important to discuss “what if” scenarios and create a plan for the next steps. Making a plan, open communication, and family support are the keys to ensuring a smooth transition to Hospice Care for a Patient. Dynamic Hospice Care provides Spiritual and Clinical support for patients and their families and a Dynamic Transitional Care Coordinator is always happy to discuss all options regarding Hospice Care with patients and their families.
DME and Medications without out of pocket expenses
Clinical Visits and other
comfort resources
Spiritual and Clinical
Support for family and patient
Dynamic Hospice Provides a smooth and helpful transition to Hospice for the patient and their family
Advance Directives: Having a Plan
It is extremely important to have an Advanced Directive regarding health care decisions in place. Advanced Directives ensure that your wishes are met if you were to be physically or cognitively impaired and can take the unneeded burden off of family when it comes time to make a care-related decision. End-of-Life Care Planning decisions should be made with family and legal professionals. If you need assistance with Advanced Directives and Planning, a Dynamic Hospice Care Social Worker can provide you with a list of local resources
Some Tips Include:
1. Have a Medical Durable Power of Attorney named as the “decision-maker,” in the case you are unable to make your own healthcare-related decisions.
2. Talk with your whole family to ensure that everyone understands your wishes and that Advanced Directives are in place.
3. Speak with a Legal Professional to have a Living Will set-up and to ensure your wishes are clearly defined.
4. Always ask questions to the appropriate resources. End-of-Life Planning can be stressful, but by consulting the appropriate resources, any unneeded burden can be relieved.
Discussing Hospice with your Doctor
Having a conversation with your Primary Care Physician about Hospice Care can be as difficult, or sometimes even more difficult than having the conversation with your family members. Hospice Care provides quality of life and comfort care to patients when treatment options are ruled out. The conversation about End-of-Life and End-of-Life Care can be uncomfortable, but there have been studies showing that patients who have these conversations with their physicians before Hospice Care is necessary tend to have less anxiety and stress regarding end-of-life and dying.
Our Hospice Team can work in coordination with your Primary Care Physician
Your Primary Care Physicians (PCP) can be a part of your Hospice Care Plan if you wish. Dynamic Hospice Care has a Hospice Care Doctor on staff, but it is important that patients be seen by the Physician that they feel comfortable with. We work with patient’s PCPs as if they were our own in-house Hospice Care Physician. Your PCP will be responsible for visiting you at-home providing care updates and collaborating with the rest of the Dynamic Hospice Team to ensure high-quality care outcomes. Physicians are a big part of the In-Home Hospice Care Plan and it is important that patients feel comfortable with their Attending Physician throughout the Hospice Care journey.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
PREPARING TO RECEIVE HOSPICE CARE
Hospice Care is a Holistic Physical, Spiritual, and Emotional Care approach. From the moment that you decide to engage Hospice Care with Dynamic Hospice, an interdisciplinary pain-free care team will work with you and your family to ensure a comfortable quality of life. Our Hospice Care Clinicians work with you to create an Individualized Care Plan specific to your comfort care needs. A Dynamic Hospice Care Social Worker will meet with you and your family to discuss emotional and practical care needs that are non-clinical and can also connect you with resources like additional caregiving needs, Advanced Directives/Living Will, support groups, etc. Dynamic Hospice care’s Spiritual Counselor will meet with the patient and their family to go-over all spiritual needs, regardless of religious denomination, Dynamic has a Spiritual Counselor, who can serve as an advisor to your family. The Hospice Care Approach is made up of the team, who can serve your needs at home with regular visits and critical around the clock care needs as well.
When a patient and their family decide to receive Hospice Care, in addition to comfort care needs and access to the interdisciplinary team of Hospice care providers patients will receive Medical Equipment (DME) and Prescriptions delivered to their home with $0 out of pocket expenses. The Dynamic Hospice Care Team will ensure your DME and Medications are delivered by our DME and Pharmacy partners to your home immediately when needed. The Hospice Care Plan will outline the scheduled visits recommended based on the patient’s needs. Although visits by the care team will be regularly scheduled, Dynamic Hospice Care has a dedicated 24-Hour On-Call team available for our patients in the case that after-hours assistance is needed. Dynamic Hospice Care is here to support our patients, whenever and however that support is needed, Emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
Dynamic Hospice Care Provides:
medical equipment (DME) delivered to your home
Prescriptions delivered to your home
by our
pharmacy
partners
regularly
scheduled
visits from our care team
team of supportIVE STAFF
available 24/7
If Hospice Care is necessary for a patient because of their diagnosis, the worry about how to pay for Hospice should not be a top concern. Hospice Care is covered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for all patients 65 years and over regardless of their Commercial Insurance plan. Medicare Part A will pay 100% of a patient's Hospice Care needs for a covered Diagnosis. Before beginning your Hospice Care Services, The Dynamic Hospice Care Coordinator will go over your insurance coverage and eligibility.
Patients who have a Managed Care Organization or are under the age of 65 in need of Hospice Care will typically have all Hospice Care expenses covered by their insurance, but this does vary by Insurance Carrier. Dynamic Hospice Care’s Care Coordinator will discuss your insurance plan’s covered and non-covered items before Hospice Care begins to ensure you have all of the information necessary to make an informed decision. If you require Hospice Care, but Insurance concerns are preventing you from beginning Hospice Care, Contact Us and a Dynamic Hospice Care Representative will be able to discuss care options with you or Give us a Call (818) 464-2050.