12/18/2023
DID YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT HOSPICE CARE?
Hospice care has changed over the years, expanding their care and services to those who are terminally ill. Hospice care can be administered at home, hospital, or a care facility. In years past, we would consider contacting hospice when our loved one had just a few days to live. Now, it’s possible to enlist hospice services for your loved one months sooner. If you are the caregiver, this is a very important consideration. Hospice nurses, doctors, social workers, spiritual counselors, and music therapists provide on-going care and support for your loved one. Nurses will make weekly visits to provide palliative care and will increase visits as the illness progresses. The goal of hospice is to provide the best quality of life for patients and their families while addressing physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs. It must also meet the needs of the family. This is done through a coordinated plan of care, in consultation with the patient and family. Hospice also includes bereavement support. This helps people who have lost loved ones. Michigan law requires hospice to provide this at no cost for at least a year after the loss of a loved one.
An important note to caregivers: It’s sobering to think that 40% of caregivers die before their ill loved one does. Hospice can be a much-needed support and comfort to patients and their caregivers earlier than once thought. I was the recipient of wonderful hospice care for my husband, Larry, for eight months. Our hospice team provided tremendous support to me as his caregiver. Larry passed away July 26, 2023, at home with our family and caring hospice nurse by his side.
When a terminally ill patient is being considered for hospice care, they go through an extensive approval process. If approved, they are visited by a hospice doctor every couple of months to be “re-certified” to stay in the program. Some patients even improve over time and are “graduated” out of hospice and then later re-certified and enrolled again.
Many of us don’t realize there are two types of hospice groups: 1) for-profit hospices and 2) non-profit 501(c)3 hospices. Let’s cover for-profit hospice groups first.
For-profit hospice groups are in business for just that – to make a profit. For-profit hospices are primarily focused on generating revenue and profits for their owners or investors. As a result, they may prioritize cost-cutting measures over patient care, which can impact the quality of care provided. For-profit hospices stand to make a larger profit margin by accepting longer-term patients, i.e., dementia patients as one example. They may provide a lower level of care and fewer services than non-profit hospice.
Let’s cover non-profit hospice groups.
Non-profit hospices, on the other hand, are focused on providing compassionate care and support for patients and their families. They prioritize the patient’s well-being over profits, which can result in higher quality care and more comprehensive services. Non-profit hospice groups rely solely on donations. They will accept any terminally ill patient regardless of disease, age, or financial circumstances.
When choosing a hospice, consider several factors, including the quality of care, range of services, availability of resources, and cost, look for hospices that the following: a good reputation for providing high-quality care, offer comprehensive services that meet the patient’s needs, have access to the latest medical equipment and technology, and offer affordable rates or financial assistance programs.
Mary Bartlett, Licensed Pre-Planning Consultant
Excerpts taken from michigan.gov (Hospice Care in Michigan) and HospiceReport.com.
