Some hospitals provide hospice care, but generally speaking, hospice care is provided in a separate facility or at home. Suncrest Home Health and Hospice provides hospice care to patients in the Phoenix area in their homes or in a facility.
Hospital Care
Hospital care in the United States has changed a lot in the last 50 years. Insurance companies have made stricter rules about how long patients can remain in the hospital, and there is concern that some patients are discharged before they are well enough to leave.
Elderly patients who have had surgery or suffered a medical event such as a heart attack or stroke may be discharged to rehabilitation facilities. There, they stay usually for several weeks receiving therapy and building up their strength until they are well enough to return home. Other times, they may be discharged to a nursing home if they are not expected to recover sufficiently enough to remain living on their own.
Sometimes cost is a consideration in patient care decisions. Staying in the hospital is expensive because patients are monitored 24/7 by doctors and nurses with lifesaving equipment and medications. Such a level of care is not usually necessary for patients in recovery. Staying in a rehab facility is cheaper. Even a nursing home is cheaper than the hospital.
Hospice Care
Hospice care is only for those who are expected to live less than six months. Whether they have been diagnosed with a terminal illness or they are failing due to a condition such as congestive heart failure, hospice is end-of-life care.
In order to enter hospice, the patient must have made the decision to give up lifesaving medications. For example, some cancer patients receiving chemotherapy may grow tired of the side effects such as nausea and vomiting, especially if the therapy is expected to add only months or weeks to their life. In these instances, hospice staff provides medication for pain and mental health conditions, but not lifesaving medication.
Hospital vs. Hospice
Hospice is covered 100% by Medicare. Thus, if you want your loved one to receive hospice care in Phoenix, they can get it at home or in a hospice care facility. Some hospitals operate hospice care centers onsite; however, they are separate entities.
Hospitals generally focus on making patients well enough to discharge them, but hospice care patients are not expected to recover from their illness. Very rarely they do, and they are then discharged from hospice, but most patients who enter hospice are already near death.
Suncrest Home Health and Hospice of Phoenix
The hospice nurses and social workers at Suncrest Home Health and Hospice can provide more information about how to receive hospice care in Phoenix. Contact us today — we can help bring you peace of mind.
