Understanding Hospice and What It Offers to the Patient & their Family
There comes a time in many people’s lives where they are reaching the end of life and are faced with the question of how they want to spend their last few months. Hospice care is intended to help people have a dignified death surrounded by family and friends while offering support, guidance and pain relief to let patients and families focus on spending quality time together. It often is done in the comfort of the person’s home rather than in a hospital setting.
Angela Novas, chief medical officer for the Hospice Foundation of America, explains, “Dying isn’t really the focus of hospice care.” She adds hospice’s focus is to give the person the best quality of life possible for the remainder of their time left, however long it may be. It is often used when a person’s health is rapidly worsening and their needs are overwhelming family caregivers.
While the full cost of hospice services is covered by Medicare or Medicaid when using a Medicare-approved provider, there may be copayment charges for some medications or in-patient respite care services. To be eligible for hospice care, the person must have a doctor certify they are terminally ill with six months or less to live if the disease runs its normal course. Also, the person must be ready to stop treatments to cure their illness and only get treatment focused on improving comfort and quality of life. If the person continues to meet the requirements for hospice and lives past the initial six months, they are still eligible for services.
When the end is near, hospice caregivers provide support and comfort to loved ones as well as help with appropriate notifications and final arrangements. If desired, they also offer bereavement care, grief support resources, and follow-up for at least 13 months after the person dies.
At the Morning of Beaverton retirement communities, we provide the support, programs, companionship and securityto give seniors the best quality of life. We offer an integrated senior living experience that seamlessly blends Independent Living in one community to provide residents the opportunity to remain in a familiar environment while getting the support they need. For seniors living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases, our distinct Reflections Neighborhood has 38 all-inclusive suites for trusted memory care. Please see our website for more information and to schedule an in-person visit.
