Hospice Care

A patient must be diagnosed with a terminal illness by a physician to qualify for hospice services. The federal government defines a terminally ill patient as an individual who has a medical prognosis with a life expectancy of 6 months or less if the illness runs its normal course.

Only certain conditions/diagnoses can qualify for hospice care. These conditions, which are known to be eventually terminal, include:

• ALS and other neurologic conditions
• Cancer with metastasis
• Dementia due to Alzheimer’s and related disorders
• Heart disease, such as Class 4 heart failure
• HIV disease
• Liver disease
• Pulmonary disease, such as severe COPD
• Renal disease
• Stroke and/or coma

Yes. In order for your loved one to be admitted to hospice care and to begin receiving medical evaluations and care, we will need a referral/order from their doctor.

It all depends on the condition of your loved one when hospice is elected. In very late disease stages, death might occur sooner rather than later, whether the patient is in hospice care or not. However, you may be heartened to learn that the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has found that those who elect hospice care actually live longer than those who do not.

Patients may be able to receive hospice care for longer than 6 months but will need to be recertified at the end of the first 6-month period to assess whether they meet the criteria to continue with hospice care. Most often, this means certifying that they continue to be terminally ill. Patients who do not meet the continuation criteria will be discharged from hospice, although they can be readmitted if their condition worsens.

If a patient elects to go to the hospital for treatment, they will need to be discharged from hospice – but could be readmitted after being discharged from the hospital.

You may be surprised to learn that we can provide hospice care in nearly any setting your loved one calls home, including:

• A private home
• An assisted living residence
• A hospital
• A long-term care (LTC) facility
• A nursing facility
• A personal care home

It is our goal to meet every patient’s needs in a way that helps them remain in their preferred setting.

We offer four different levels of care, depending on your loved one’s needs: scheduled home visits, continuous home care, inpatient care, and respite care. A registered nurse will come to your home or other residence and conduct a needs assessment to determine what is needed and to answer any questions you may have. Call us at (469) 906-2000 to schedule a visit or request more information now.

At all levels of care, our hospice care services include skilled nursing care, durable medical equipment (hospital beds, etc.), medication and medication management, respiratory care management, as well as pain relief and control of a patient’s symptoms.

Medicare and Medicaid both cover hospice care.

• If a patient has a Medicare Advantage plan, the coverage will convert to traditional Medicare.
• If a patient has a Medicaid Advantage plan, the coverage will convert to traditional Medicaid.
• If a patient has Medicare and Medicaid, Medicare is primary.

Hospice covers costs related to the terminal diagnosis, such as medications, durable medical equipment, and supplies.

Your interdisciplinary hospice care team may include:

• Physicians
• Nurse practitioners (NP)
• Registered nurses (RN), who serve as the case manager for a patient
• Licensed vocational nurses (LVN)
• Chaplain for spiritual and bereavement services
• Medical social workers (MSW)
• Director of nursing / administration
• Quality coordinators
• Hospice aides or certified nursing assistants (CNA)
• Volunteers

You can call Concord Hospice at (469) 906-2000 to refer a patient. Our phones are staffed 24/7, and we can arrange for hospice care at any time, day or night, any day of the year – even holidays.

Please note that your patient does NOT need to have an out-of-hospital do not resuscitate (OOH-DNR) to be eligible for hospice care.