Find Your Answers in These
Frequently Asked Question

Q:  What is Hospice Care?

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A:  Hospice care is specialized care for people with a life limiting illness with a prognosis of six (6) months or less. People may choose to enroll in hospice care if the treatment is unlikely to be effective or side effects of treatment outweigh the benefits . Hospice recognizes that every person deserves to live the end of their life journey with respect and dignity, pain free and in an environment that promotes quality of life.  It also helps family members cope with their loved one’s illness and can also provide support to the family after the person dies, including help with grieving, sometimes called bereavement care.

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Q:  Am I Eligible for Hospice Care?

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A: Anyone with a life limiting illness with a prognosis of six (6) months or less usually qualifies for hospice care. For Medicare to pay for hospice care, patients must stop medical treatment intended to cure or control their illness.

Q:  When Should I Start Hospice Care?

A: It’s important to talk with your doctor about your prognosis . Starting hospice early may be able to provide months of meaningful care and quality time with loved ones.

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Q: What Services Does Hospice Care Provide?

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A:  Hospice care can provide a range of different services depending on your symptoms and end of life care wishes. These services include, but are not limited to, emotional and spiritual support for the person and their family, relief of symptoms and pain, help with advance care planning, therapy services, like physical or occupational therapy, and much more.

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Q:  Where Does Hospice Take Place?

A:  Hospice can be provided in many settings — a private home, nursing home, assisted living facility, or in a hospital. Choosing where to receive hospice care is a personal decision, but it may be helpful to talk with family members, your caregiver, or your doctor about the level of care you need.

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Q:  Should I Include Hospice Care in My Advanced Care Planning?

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A. Yes! Advance care planning involves making decisions ahead of time about the health care you would want to receive at the end of life. Studies have shown that patients who have participated in advanced care planning receive care that is more aligned with their wishes and are more satisfied with their care.

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Q:  Do I Have to Stop Other Medication If I’m in Hospice?

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A. When you begin hospice care, medication and other treatments to cure or control your serious illness will stop. For example, if you are receiving chemotherapy that is meant to treat or cure your cancer, that must end before you can enter hospice care. However, a person in hospice can continue to take medications to treat other conditions or symptoms, for example, high blood pressure.

Q: Will My Insurance Cover Hospice Care?

A: Most Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance providers will cover the services provided by hospice. Older adults enrolled in Medicare can receive hospice care if their healthcare provider thinks they have 6 months or less to live. In most cases, they will need to sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of other Medicare-covered treatments for their illness.

Q: Does Hospice Include 24/7 Care?

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A: While some may think hospice provides 24 hours a day, 7 days a week custodial care, or full-time care at home or an outside facility, this is rarely the case. Although hospice provides a lot of support, most of the day-to-day care of the patient is provided by family and friends. However, a person from a hospice care team is usually always available by phone 24/7.

Q: How Does Hospice Benefit People with Advanced Dementia?

A: Most people with advanced dementia cannot communicate clearly, which means they may not be able to share their concerns with their caregivers. Caregivers may find it difficult to provide adequate care at the end of life because of this and other concerns. Hospice care can help with this situation. Hospice, whether used at home or in a medical facility, can provide caregivers and the person with dementia the support they may need near the end of life. Studies show that family members of people with dementia who received hospice report better quality of care and having more of their needs met at the end of life.

Q: What Are the Benefits of Using Hospice Care?

A: Studies have shown that when a person enrolls in hospice care they are more likely to have increased family satisfaction and better symptom and pain management. They are also less likely to undergo tests or be given medication they don’t need or want.

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Q: How Does Hospice Care Work?  

A: Typically, a family member serves as the primary caregiver and, when appropriate, helps make decisions for the patient with a life limiting illness. Members of the hospice staff make regular visits to assess the patient and provide additional care or other services. The hospice team develops a care plan that meets each patient’s individual needs for pain management and symptom control. Support for family caregivers is also assessed throughout the care period. While the range of services provided will vary depending on each individual situation and the specific needs, hospice staff are available by phone 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

Who makes up the hospice team?  The interdisciplinary team usually consists of:

• The patient’s personal physician;

• Hospice physician (or medical director);

• Nurses;

• Hospice aides;

• Social workers;

• Spiritual care providers or other counselors;

• Bereavement professionals;

• Speech, physical, and/or other occupational therapists; and

• Trained volunteers.

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Q: What Does the Interdisciplinary Hospice Team Do?

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A: The interdisciplinary hospice team

• Manages the patient’s pain and symptoms;

• Assists the patient with the emotional and psychosocial and spiritual aspects of dying;

• Provides needed drugs, medical supplies, and equipment;

• Coaches the family on how to care for the patient;

• Delivers special services like physical therapy, speech therapy, and even music and art therapy;  

• Makes short-term inpatient care available when pain or symptoms become too difficult to manage at home, or the caregiver needs respite time; and

• Provides bereavement care and counseling to surviving family and friends.

Q: What Role Do Volunteers Play in Hospice Care?  

A. Hospice provides trained volunteers to aid the family and patients. Most hospice volunteers are trained to relieve the primary caregivers, do household chores, and most of all, provide companionship. Volunteers also support the work of the hospice program that might not involve patient or family interaction.

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Q. Is it True That Hospice Care is Only for the Very End of Life With Days or Hours Left to Live?

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A. No, hospice care is available to patients with a life limiting diagnosis with a prognosis of six months or less who want medical care for comfort rather than curative care.

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Q. Does Hospice Hasten Dying?

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A. No, hospice does not hasten or postpone death. It is care provided to patients to make them more comfortable and peaceful at the end of their lives.

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Q. What if I Change My Mind?

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A. It’s ok. If you choose to seek aggressive medical treatment, hospice may not be for you. You have to qualify for hospice, but you can opt out at any time for as long as you like. You can opt back in later, as long as you qualify.

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Q. When is the Right Time to Ask About Hospice?

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A: Now is the best time to learn more about hospice and ask questions about what to expect from hospice services. Although end-of-life care may be difficult to discuss, it is best for family members to share their wishes long before it becomes a concern. This can greatly reduce stress when the time for hospice is needed. By having these discussions in advance, patients are not forced into uncomfortable situations. Instead, patients can make an educated decision that includes the advice and input of family members and loved ones.

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Q: Does Choosing to Accept Hospice Mean I am Giving Up Hope?

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A: Hospice focuses on patient comfort and quality of life. Although a “cure” is no longer the goal, research shows that people receiving “comfort care” often live longer than they would without hospice. Hospice does not mean that a patient has given up or that the doctor's treatment has failed.  Choosing hospice means that you are focusing on life and that the patient wants a voice in what their end of life journey looks like.