Provider Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is my patient ready for hospice?
-
Decline in function – difficulties with walking or transfers, recently bedbound
-
Frequent hospital or emergency department visits
-
Progressive weight loss
-
Recurrent infections
-
Increasing dependence for most Activities of Daily Living
-
Declining mental function
-
Multiple co-morbidities
Q. Who should receive Hospice Care?
-
Patients who no longer seek curative treatment and have moved to comfort care with a focus on relief of pain and symptoms.
-
Patients with a condition causing a life expectancy of 6 months or less if the disease runs it's natural course.
-
Patient who refuse extreme lifesaving or life-sustaining measures.
Q. What is covered?
Hospice care includes skilled nursing visits, spiritual and emotional services through chaplains and licensed social workers, medications for pain and symptoms caused by the terminal condition, durable medical equipment (hospital bed, wheelchair, walker etc.) nutritional counseling if needed, respite care to relieve caregiving responsibilities, and inpatient care for symptom management.
Q. Who pays for hospice?
Hospice is covered by a Medicare benefit, Medicaid and most private insurances
Q. Who is on the hospice IDG care team?
Each member of the Interdisciplinary team has special expertise in the management of physical, spiritual, and emotional needs that arise during end-of-life care. Our medical directors are physicians specializing in hospice care who collaborate with the patient’s attending physician and provide expert advice to the IDG care team.
Skilled nurses provide symptom management to improve the patient’s comfort. They provide patients and caregivers with education on personal care, use of medications, maintaining comfort, and other needs as they arise.
Social workers provide assistance in identifying community resources for caregiver support, advanced directives, and funeral home planning. These licensed professionals provide emotional counseling and anticipatory grief support
Certified nursing assistants and hospice aides (CNA) provide scheduled visits to assist with the patient’s daily living care and to educate family members and caregivers on how to meet the patient’s day to day care needs.
Hospice Volunteers are specially trained to support the needs of terminally-ill individuals and their families. They offer companionship, respite for personal caregivers, and simple household support (such as errands and light household chores).
Chaplains offers in-depth listening to the concerns, hopes, and fears of the patient and their loved ones using a non-denomination approach.
Bereavement coordinators support families in their grief following loss. Our bereavement coordinator offers individual counseling sessions, support groups, workshops, and occasionally sends informational material by mail.
Hospice pharmacists provide consultations to the IDG Care Team regarding medication management.
Q. How will you care for my patient?
Our goal is to be an extension of your patient care, not a replacement.
-
An experienced and highly skilled nurse is available 24/7 to address concerns. After hours calls are directed to a triage nurse for assessment, and visits will be made any time day or night if needed.
-
We provide all durable medical equipment, medications, and supplemental supplies related to the terminal diagnosis.
-
There is no fee for services to the patients or family members for all care related to the terminal diagnosis.
-
We provide care in conjunction to the patients person or private physicians. We do not replace care or request patients to discontinue visits to their primary physicians, rather we look forward to coordinating care together to ensure highest patient satisfaction.