As a leading Medicare-approved hospice care agency in Salt Lake City, we get lots of questions about hospice care at home and the services available. One we hear quite often concerns the amount of support provided. Do patients receive around-the-clock care?
Seems like a simple question, but that’s not actually the case. In hospice care, family caregivers handle most of the essential day-to-day tasks. The Medicare hospice benefit offers skilled care on a part-time or intermittent basis, with members of the hospice team providing services as needed. However, when patients need a greater level of care to keep symptoms under control, Medicare allows for that. To get a clear understanding of what that means, keep reading.
Hospice Care Providers are On Call at All Hours
Hospice services are designed to improve the quality of life for those who are nearing death. As such, one of the main priorities in hospice care is to enable the patient to spend their remaining time at home, where they’re most comfortable.
Still, while most patients like the idea of hospice care at home, family caregivers are sometimes apprehensive. Attending to the needs of a terminally ill individual can be a challenge, and many people are a bit unsettled upon learning that the Medicare hospice benefit only covers 24-hour care when the need arises. That reaction isn’t at all surprising, but caregivers aren’t left without support.
Training on how to effectively manage multiple medications, operate specialized medical equipment and address other aspects of care is provided. In addition, members of the hospice care team – a nurse, a social worker, a chaplain, a bereavement counselor and other skilled professionals — visit on a regular basis, providing the support family caregivers need.
Also, a reputable Salt Lake City hospice care agency like Suncrest is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Family caregivers have access to a dedicated hotline, staffed by registered nurses. So, if anyone has questions or concerns, expert advice is just a phone call away.
24-Hour Care at Home is Available When Needed
Not every issue can be addressed over the phone, of course, and Medicare recognizes that hospice patients may need around-the-clock support at times. In this situation, referred to as continuous home care, registered nurses work in shifts to help the individual through a medical crisis.
Continuous home care is customarily covered when a hospice patient is experiencing uncontrollable symptoms – extreme pain, difficulty breathing, constant nausea, new-onset seizures, ceaseless constipation and problems swallowing are a few reasons why 24-hour care at home may be warranted. Instead of calling for an ambulance or heading to the hospital, family caregivers presented with these types of challenges call the hospice agency hotline. At that point, a nurse is sent out to help.
As a general rule, coverage for continuous home care is limited to a 24-hour period. If a hospice patient is still in crisis after that time, moving to the in-patient level of hospice care might be necessary. In other words, the individual may be transferred to a Salt Lake City hospital or a dedicated local hospice facility, where medical professionals provide around-the-clock care.
Like continuous home care, in-patient hospice care is meant to be temporary and, in most cases, the stay is for no more than five days. At any rate, once the emergency has passed and the patient has been stabilized, they are sent back home.
24-Hour Respite Care Gives Caregivers a Break
Caring for a loved one who is nearing the end of life isn’t easy, and family caregivers often get overwhelmed. Fortunately, the Medicare hospice benefit was designed with this in mind – and when in need of some time away from their daily duties, caregivers can take advantage of respite care.
Respite care involves a temporary transfer of the patient to a local Medicare-approved in-patient hospice facility or hospital. The individual can stay for up to five days, and during that time they receive around-the-clock care from medical professionals. To arrange for a respite stay, family caregivers simply need to contact their loved one’s Salt Lake City hospice care agency.
What’s more, caregivers can take advantage of respite care more than once. Medicare covers hospice care at home in benefit periods – two 90-day periods, followed by an unlimited number of 60-day periods – and respite care can be arranged for during each hospice benefit period.
Suncrest Hospice is Here to Meet Your Needs
At Suncrest Hospice of Salt Lake City, we’re fully committed to supporting patients and their families. If a loved one has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and has a limited life expectancy, hospice care at home may be appropriate – and we have a team of compassionate, highly skilled professionals who are ready to make the end-of-life journey a positive experience for everyone involved.
The Suncrest team has a true passion for helping those with terminal illnesses. We do all that we can to allow those individuals to enjoy their remaining time at home, where they can live comfortably and benefit from the companionship of family and friends. For more on our Salt Lake City hospice care agency and the services we provide, or to schedule a hospice consultation, contact us today.
