HOSPICE OF THE CHESAPEAKE MEMBER OF THE HOSPICE ALLIANCE
Purpose of Hospice: The purpose of Hospice is to improve the quality of life for those who have a progressive and life-limiting illness. The primary goal of Hospice is to provide assistance that enables patients to stay at home or in their place of residence and to enhance the comfort of the patient. Short-term inpatient care is available for the control of symptoms and/or brief respite for caregivers. Choice of Care: Hospice offers a wide range of services designed to enhance the patient's life and to control pain and other symptoms. The patient has a choice about the services and techniques being used by Hospice. The patient may review the plan of care that guides Hospice services and may refuse a particular treatment or service. Hospice does not provide advanced life support, ventilators, or other procedures that artificially prolong life. Levels of Hospice Care: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has defined four kinds, or “levels,” of hospice care. One patient may experience all four levels, perhaps in just a week or ten days of hospice services. Another patient 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. Every Medicare-certified hospice provider must provide these four levels of care: •
Routine hospice care is the most common level of hospice care. With this type of care, an individual has elected to receive hospice care at their residence, which can include a private residence, assisted living facility or nursing facility.
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General inpatient care is provided for pain control or other acute symptom management that cannot feasibly be provided in any other setting and begins when other efforts to manage symptoms have been ineffective. General Inpatient Care can be provided in a Medicare certified hospital, hospice inpatient facility or nursing facility that has a registered nurse available 24 hours a day to provide direct patient care.
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Continuous home care is care provided for between eight and 24 hours a day to manage pain and other acute medical symptoms. Continuous home care services must be predominantly nursing care, supplemented with caregiver and hospice aide services and are intended to maintain the patient at home during a pain or symptom crisis.
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Respite care is available to provide temporary relief to the patient’s primary caregiver. Respite care can be provided in a hospital, hospice facility or a long-term care facility that has sufficient 24-hour nursing
