What Does In-Home Hospice Care Provide?
Date Updated: December 16, 2024
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Lauren Ferguson has over five years of experience as a freelance writer, specializing in senior care topics such as assisted living and memory care. She holds a degree in Liberal Studies and English from the University of Illinois Springfield. Having navigated the process of placing her mother in a long-term care community, Lauren offers a unique insider's perspective to families facing similar situations.
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Dr. Brindusa Vanta is a health care professional, researcher, and an experienced medical writer (2000+ articles published online and several medical ebooks). She received her MD degree from “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine, Romania, and her HD diploma from OCHM – Toronto, Canada.
In-home hospice care provides medical, emotional and spiritual support for terminally ill patients in their homes, prioritizing comfort and dignity rather than a cure. The specific services it offers vary depending on each individual's needs but typically include skilled nursing, pain management, therapies and counseling.
How In-Home Hospice Care Works
In-home hospice care allows individuals to remain at home in the final stages of life while having access to comprehensive medical and psychological assistance. To qualify for hospice coverage through Medicare Part A, patients must meet specific criteria:
- A physician must give the patient a terminal diagnosis with a life expectancy of 6 months or less.
- The patient, or their health care power of attorney agent, must consent to receive hospice care. This means choosing comfort care instead of curative treatments.
- The patient must receive services from a Medicare-approved hospice provider.
Medicare's hospice benefit operates in periods. A patient can choose to receive hospice care for a period of time, usually two periods of 90 days each, followed by an unlimited number of 60-day periods. Each period requires a recertification of the patient's condition to confirm they still qualify for hospice care.
What Services Does In-Home Hospice Care Provide?
Hospice care offers two levels of assistance at home: routine home care and continuous home care. Most patients receive routine home care, in which a hospice team schedules regular visits to the patient's residence. This level of care usually includes:
- Skilled nursing visits for medical assessments and symptom control
- Pain management through medications and therapies
- Personal care assistance, such as bathing and grooming
- Emotional and spiritual support from counselors and chaplains
- Social services to help navigate health care and community resources
- Bereavement support for family members and caregivers
- Medical equipment and supplies, including hospital beds and oxygen tanks
Although continuous home care shares many services with routine home care, it focuses on stabilizing the patient during critical periods. This level includes extended nursing care, often for several hours a day, as well as the potential involvement of other specialists to manage severe symptoms and ensure patient comfort.