When your loved one has been recommended for hospice care, it can be a confusing and frightening time. This is the beginning of a journey that will end with a loss, and it is natural that you will have many questions about what to expect. Many people do not know what hospice is, or they do not understand what their options are.
For information on getting your loved one into a Las Vegas hospice,
Call us (702) 509-5276
Once your doctor makes the formal referral, hospice care begins. Your referral will be made when the patient has six months or less to live, but hospice can last longer when necessary, and it is possible to leave hospice if it is no longer needed. According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, so many families are touched by this issue that in 2015 alone 1,381,182 Medicare beneficiaries received hospice care, with a total of 96,052,577 days of care provided for. If you are in this situation, you are far from alone.
Can You Put Someone in Hospice?
One common misconception about hospice is that it is a place. Hospice is not a place. It is a specialized kind of care that focuses on quality of living issues for those who have terminal illnesses.
In hospice, support is provided for terminally ill or aging patients and their caretakers. This involves making the patient comfortable, attending to their basic medical and living needs, and helping them during the final weeks or months of their life. Hospice workers have been specially trained to deal with end-of-life issues, and they can handle everything from administering medications to symptom management.
Most hospice services are provided in home (and can be provided in a nursing home or assisted living facility if the patient lives there) unless inpatient hospice is needed.
What Is General Inpatient Hospice Care?
General inpatient hospice care typically involves an individual receiving care in a hospice facility, either because the family needs respite or because of a crisis that requires symptom management beyond what your family is capable of providing in your own home.
Another situation in which inpatient hospice care may be preferable is when a patient is transitioning from a hospital to the home. In these cases, the patient would not stay in the inpatient facility; it would simply be a temporary solution until the home can be set up for hospice care. Once the patient is able to be moved into the home, they can continue receiving hospice care there for as long as is necessary. However, they don’t end up staying at the inpatient facility.
How Long Can You Stay in Inpatient Hospice?
Although hospice care is intended for patients who have been given six months or less to live, inpatient hospice care will generally not last this long. Inpatient hospice care is typically a short-term solution. This is the second most expensive level of hospice care, and it may cost over $10,000 a month. This leaves many families with financial worries on top of their concerns about their ailing loved one. Your provider can explain your coverage with you and answer any questions you may have. In the vast majority of cases, inpatient hospice is not necessary. Home hospice care is usually possible for most families.
If you are in Clark County, Nevada, your options for inpatient care will be extremely limited. There are inpatient hospices available in Las Vegas, but they are only intended to be for brief stays and almost always transition to home hospice eventually. Unfortunately, if you are in the greater Las Vegas area and you are hoping “put” your loved one “in” hospice care, you may be out of luck. There are still other resources available to you, and Omni Care Hospice is ready to discuss your options with your family. Call us at (702) 509-5276. We will be here for you when you need us, and we can offer you options that will help.
