Hospice care, a form of patient-centered support for the terminally ill, emphasizes comfort and quality of life as the end approaches. With that in mind, Virginia Beach hospice agencies ordinarily provide services wherever home is, whether that’s a private residence, a local nursing home or an assisted living community.
However, loved ones typically act as primary caregivers for hospice patients – and there are times when patients need a greater degree of support than family and friends can realistically provide. And every now and then, caregivers need a break from their day-to-day duties. In these situations, in-patient hospice care offers a solution. Below, the Suncrest team explains how it works.
The Four Levels of Hospice Care
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has designated four levels of hospice care, all of which are covered by Medicare, the Virginia Medicaid program, military benefits and most private health insurance plans.
Routine home care (RHC) is the basic and most common level of hospice. Medical equipment, medical supplies and medication are delivered to the terminally ill individual’s home, and skilled professionals make regular house calls to provide support.
Continuous home care (CHC) services are much less commonly provided. Warranted in times of medical crisis — when a patient is afflicted with unrelenting pain, continual nausea or another troubling symptom — this level of hospice care involves more focused attention, with a member of the hospice care team remaining present in the home until the patient is stable.
The last two levels of care both concern in-patient hospice services.
General in-patient care (GIP) is designed for individuals with complex medical needs that require supervision in a structured medical facility, while in-patient respite care (IRC) is a service created to provide temporary relief to family caregivers. When either is called for by the hospice care team, the patient is transferred to a Virginia Beach medical facility. The stay is always meant to be a short-term one, though there is no set limit to the time someone can remain at the GIP level.
When In-Patient Hospice Care is Appropriate
We provided a brief explanation above, but let’s go into the many reasons why hospice care teams arrange for in-patient services.
The preference of most terminally ill individuals in Virginia Beach would be to receive the support they need in their own home. But sometimes, due to the course an illness takes, additional help becomes necessary. Indications of the need for general in-patient hospice care include:
- Uncontrolled pain
- Respiratory distress
- Persistent nausea or vomiting
- Prolonged seizure activity
- Severe anxiety or panic attacks
- Rapid decline of motor function
- Agitation that requires intervention
- Pathological or disease-related fractures
- Complex wound care concerns
- Medications that need close monitoring
As you can see, general in-patient hospice is considered appropriate for circumstances that require medical expertise. Once the situation is under control, the patient can return home.
With the in-patient respite care level of hospice, the state of affairs is quite different. Coverage for hospice care, whether through Medicare, Medicaid or another insurer, is broken into benefit periods. Virginia Beach patients can take advantage of the available services for two 90-day periods, followed by an unlimited number of 60-day periods. Family caregivers can request a respite once during each period, and the break can last or up to five consecutive days. As for when hospice respite care is appropriate, people often consider the service as an opportunity to:
- Take time off to relax without having to worry about the patient’s needs
- Focus on wellness, using the break to get sleep or recover from an illness
- Attend a graduation, wedding, birthday party or other significant life event
- Enjoy hobbies and simple pleasures that have fallen by the wayside
Respite care is clearly advantageous for family caregivers, but patients also benefit from the services. Giving loved ones a break reduces the guilt those at the routine home care level of hospice often feel, and staying elsewhere offers the opportunity for more conversation and social interaction. Plus, when the respite stay comes to an end, everyone comes back refreshed and ready to make the most of the remaining time together.
Where In-Patient Hospice Care is Provided
As we mentioned above, when the hospice care team notices the need for general in-patient services or family caregivers request a respite stay, the individual is transferred to a Virginia Beach medical facility. A hospital is the common location, but other settings – such as a local skilled nursing center or hospice house – can be options.
In any case, the locations for in-patient hospice care are clinical, as they must be to meet the needs of the terminally ill. That said, the atmosphere is calm and homelike, much more so than the typical hospital wing. The staff is well-trained, but also laid-back, willing to take time for a chat. Loved ones can visit at any hour of the day or night, and if desired, an overnight stay can be arranged. Once the distressing symptoms subside – or when the respite stay period ends – the patient can return to their home.
At Suncrest Hospice of Virginia Beach, we consider patient comfort and quality of life to be of primary importance, and to that end, we aim to make the locations where we provide in-patient services like a home away from home. Providing exceptional care is always our goal, but we also encourage families to be proactive in regard to patient needs.
For more information on in-patient hospice care, or to arrange for a consultation at a loved one’s home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, contact the Suncrest team today.
