FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 05/21/2021
When a doctor determines that a patient is eligible for hospice, the person and/or loved ones may choose to stop trying to cure the illness, and opt to receive hospice care. Hospice focuses on managing pain and other difficult symptoms and keeping patients comfortable so that they can enjoy a good quality of life for the remainder of their time left. Hospice provides goods and services allowing the patient and loved ones to stay together in the comfort of the home or other desired setting.
Every Medicare-certified hospice company must provide four levels of care. With four levels of care in place, no terminally ill patient should ever be without appropriate care. One person may experience all four levels, perhaps in just a week or ten days of hospice services. Another person may experience one level of care throughout the duration of his or her hospice care. Each level of care meets specific needs, and every hospice patient is unique. The determination of which level of care is needed is made by the hospice physician.
Level 1: Routine Home Care. Based upon the individual patient’s needs, routine home care may include: intermittent skilled nursing services; physical therapy; occupational therapy; speech-language services; social services; intermittent home health aide services; medical supplies; personal hygiene supplies; and durable medical equipment.
Level 2: Continuous Home Care. Continuous home care is available when a higher level of care is needed for at least eight hours in a 24-hour period to manage acute medical symptoms. Fifty percent of continuous care services must be provided by a nurse. Some examples of symptoms requiring continuous care include: unrelieved pain; severe nausea and vomiting; severe shortness of breath; anxiety or panic attacks; or a breakdown in the primary caregiver support system.
Level 3: General Inpatient Care. Some patients have short-term symptoms so severe they cannot be controlled in the home setting, or they may feel more comfortable receiving treatment at an inpatient facility. Symptoms requiring inpatient care are the same as those requiring continuous care. With inpatient care, nurses are available around the clock to administer medications, treatments, and emotional support. Several types of Medicare-certified facilities can provide inpatient hospice services: free-standing facilities owned and operated by a hospice company, hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities.
Level 4: Respite Care. If a patient’s family is the primary source of care and cannot meet their loved one's needs due to caregiver stress, exhaustion, or other extenuating circumstances, a patient may be temporarily admitted to an inpatient environment to give the family a needed break or respite. Medicare will cover up to five consecutive days for respite care. Once the five-day limit is reached, the patient is discharged and returns home, or the family may continue to pay for inpatient care out-of-pocket.
Hospice services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and many private insurance companies for individuals who are under the care of a doctor who has specified the services are warranted. Under the Medicare hospice benefit, the patient is still responsible for the deductible and coinsurance amounts for expenses incurred due to health problems not related to the terminal illness.
Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA) is a nonprofit public charity that has joined national, state, and community efforts to increase the quality of life for seriously ill persons, their loved ones, their caregivers, and the healthcare community in Putnam County. PCHPCA operates with support from charitable donations and grants, and is partially supported by The Putnam County Community Foundation and the Putnam County Hospital. For additional information, contact Elaine Peck, Director, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.pchpca.org.