Admission to hospice is an election of your benefit. This process begins when we receive an inquiry to hospice care by yourself, your physician, a hospital case manager and even your family members. Once the inquiry is received our intake department will promptly schedule a visits with you to discuss your needs and answer any questions you may have.
To be hospice appropriate you will need to have been diagnosed with a terminal illness with a life limiting prognosis if six (6) months or less. We will review all clinical data to verify if your condition would warrant hospice care. In our admission process the registered nurse will complete the admission assessment, confer with the hospice physician and your primary physician (if you choose to have your primary physician to follow), arrange the delivery of medications, medical supplies, durable medical equipment, and arrange the care team’s visits frequencies.
A dedicated team of hospice professionals will be involved in your care. Members of the team will begin visits to become familiar with your situation and establish a care plan with you. Your team will work in close coordination with you, and each other, to meet your needs.
We will provide you with our main number to call when a problem develops.
Can I still see my own doctor?
Yes you can see you own physician. We will work on coordination of care with the physician you designate once hospice begins. We admit patients under a specific diagnosis and cover services and treatment under that diagnosis. However, if you have any unrelated conditions and may want to continue with care prior to hospice you can see you physician for that unrelated diagnosis. For example, if the terminal illness is breast cancer yet the patient wants to continue with weekly dialysis and management by their nephrologist they can do so since it this treatment and care is not related to the breast cancer.