At-home hospice care offers a high level of support to terminally ill patients in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Services include everything from pain management, skilled nursing and therapeutic interventions to companionship, emotional support, spiritual guidance and much more – the goal is to make the end of life as comfortable as possible.
For an individual in Tulsa to be eligible for hospice care at home, they must be willing to end the search for a cure. In addition, a physician must certify that they have an incurable illness and that their health condition has reached a terminal point. The expectation, assuming the disease takes its normal course, is that the patient has six months or less left to live.
This isn’t always the outcome, however. Occasionally, a patient’s health improves after entering hospice care. Here, the Suncrest team explains why some people outlive their expected prognosis and what happens when a hospice patient recovers.
Recovery in Hospice Care
According to the most recent data from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), a nonprofit organization that advocates for high standards in end-of-life care, about 6.3 percent of patients see improved health after hospice services begin.
Why is this? The issue hasn’t been thoroughly studied, and several factors may be involved. Generally speaking, improvements in health are thought to be the result of improved care – but whether it’s medication adjustments, better monitoring, nutritional guidance, increased social support, a combination of elements or other unknown reasons isn’t quite clear.
In any case, hospice patients can and do recover every now and then. When that happens, they may no longer be eligible for hospice services.
Leaving Hospice Care
Medicare covers the cost of at-home hospice care for most patients in the Tulsa area, and for those who have coverage through Medicaid or private insurance, the eligibility guidelines are much the same. With a marked improvement in a patient’s health condition, services may be discontinued.
Eligibility for hospice care requires a life expectancy of less than six months. If a patient appears to be getting better after entering hospice, the care team actively monitors their health with an eye toward prognosis. When a doctor determines that the patient’s disease is in remission and that they are likely to live beyond six months, hospice services must come to an end.
In the event of recovery, however, the hospice team works to determine an appropriate level of care. For instance, rather than simply discharging the patient, the ideal solution may be to transition to palliative or home health services. Regardless, after meeting with the patient, their family and their primary physician, the care team puts together a plan to provide continued support.
What if someone who is discharged disagrees with the decision? Patients and families have the right to appeal a discharge, essentially asking the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to review the records and determine whether or not at-home hospice care services can continue. Information on the appeal process should be provided at the time of discharge.
Can Patients Return to Hospice Care?
When a hospice patient is discharged because their health condition and their life expectancy have improved, the decision doesn’t have to be final. Hospice care is for anyone who is nearing the end of life, and if the health of a discharged patient begins to deteriorate at any point, services can resume.
With any progressive disease or illness, achieving lasting remission is possible. Nonetheless, many patients who get better after entering hospice in Tulsa find that recovery is only temporary. Fortunately, once a doctor recertifies their eligibility for hospice care, services are again covered under Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance plans.
Hospice is designed to provide patient-centered care, and services can continually be adjusted to meet a patient’s needs. With a trusted hospice provider, an approved Medicare home health care agency like Suncrest, this is a given. Our decisions to continue or end services don’t involve profit-driven motivations. We always put the needs of our patients and their families first.
To that end, we support their choices, too. If a Tulsa hospice patient or their family decides to leave our care for any reason – even the desire to resume curative efforts — we welcome them back when they once again become eligible for hospice services.
Should You Consider Hospice Care?
Entering hospice doesn’t mean giving up on life – it’s making the choice to enjoy the final chapter to the fullest. For anyone who has a limited life expectancy, calling an approved Medicare home health care agency and requesting a consultation can be a smart decision. By doing so, a terminally ill individual can take advantage of the many available services as soon as possible, for as long as possible.
If you believe that you or a loved one might be ready for hospice now or sometime soon, or if you have questions about at-home hospice care, contact Suncrest in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and arrange for a consultation today.
