If your physician has recommended that a loved one enter a hospice program, the care can be administered in a hospice facility or at home. If such care is administered at home, usually a family member is designated as the primary caregiver. He or she makes certain decisions, where appropriate, about the patient’s care.
Palliative Care at Home
In a residential home care setting, the hospice team can be accessed 24/7 to help both the patient and caregivers. The hospice staff formulates a hospice care plan that is directed to meet a patient’s palliative care needs. Palliative care is different from curative care as its goal is to make a terminally ill patient as comfortable as possible. Curative care, on the other hand, is recommended for patients who are expected to recuperate from a sickness or an injury.
Who Is Included in the Hospice Staff
The hospice staff that provides assistance for residential home care include the following medical professionals:
* The patient’s doctor
* A hospice doctor
* Hospice nurses
* Home health aides
* Members of the clergy
* Social workers
* Volunteers
* Occupations, physical, or speech therapists
The Goal of Hospice Care
When hospice care extends to residential home care, the approach centers on the patient and his or her family. In addition, the hospice team works together to meet all of a patient’s needs – needs that cover psychological, spiritual, and physical requirements. The goal of hospice care is to control the symptoms and pains of a patient while permitting loved ones to participate in the plan put forward.
How the Care Is Paid
Fortunately, hospice care, whether provided at a hospice facility or at home, can be paid by most insurance policies, including Medicaid and Medicare. The hospice program receives payment from an insurer on per diem basis. This means the care is billed at a fixed daily cost.
If you would like to learn more about hospice care and its services, you can get your questions answered by contacting Sacred Journey Hospice. Learn more about the program by visiting the Sacred Journey Hospice website. You can also follow them on Twitter for more updates.
