What is Hospice?
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At Capital Caring Health, the services you receive will be based on your unique needs, and may include:
A specialized team to help you: nurses, home health aides, social workers, chaplains, supervising physicians, nurse practitioners and others Around-the-clock, on-call support Medical equipment and supplies, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, oxygen and more Medications to control symptoms and pain Dietary counseling, physical, occupational or speech therapy, as needed Short-term care in a specialized hospice facility for medically necessary reasons Short-term respite care (up to five days) in a facility for those times when family is either unavailable to provide care or needs a break from caregiving Counseling support and guidance for patients, families and caregivers through Capital Caring Health’s Point of Hope team “Tuck- in” calls two to three times a week from trained Capital Caring Health volunteers to inquire about a patient’s health status, and to help ensure they have sufficient medications, equipment and supplies
The Right Time for Hospice
A person can be in hospice for up to six months or even longer, depending upon the individual circumstances. To receive the greatest benefit, a patient should spend at least two to three months in hospice care. Surveys show that both patients and families are more satisfied the longer a patient receives hospice services.
As a result, hospice should be considered whenever someone is in the advanced stages of any of the following progressive illnesses:
Cancer Heart disease, especially Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Lewy Body Dementia, Vascular Dementia Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), stroke Kidney failure/End-stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Lung disease including Congestive Pulmonary Obstructive Disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis HIV/AIDS
Who Pays for Hospice?
It is important to understand what hospice benefits are offered under your specific type of insurance.
Any patient with Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) can automatically start hospice care by formally “electing” the benefit. Electing means starting this specific part of Medicare Part A. With Medicare, most services are covered at no additional cost or have a small co-payment if care is provided or arranged by your hospice.
Those with Medicaid as their primary coverage may also elect the Medicaid Hospice Benefit. Most, but not all, state Medicaid programs cover hospice services.
If you have other types of insurance, hospice care is usually covered. It is best to check with the individual plan or your employer to understand the details and cost of what is provided.
If you do not have health insurance, our specialists will be happy to speak with you to give you information on what options you do have. No one is turned away for financial reasons.
Starting Hospice Care
Anyone can contact Capital Caring Health to request a free evaluation from a hospice specialist to see if hospice is the right option for themselves or their loved ones. An official referral is made when you and your doctor decide you would like to receive hospice care. In general, the process for starting hospice care is as follows:
The person’s doctor and the hospice medical director confirm that the person has a serious illness and is expected to die in six months or less The individual selects a hospice.
The person elects the hospice benefit according to his or her insurance coverage, and selects a hospice
A hospice referral specialist will review the details with you and confirm that the focus of care will be on relief of distressing symptoms and adding support for you and your loved ones.