Hospice Myths: 5 Common Misconceptions
Most people think hospice care is only for people who are expected to pass away in a matter of days or weeks. This is a common misunderstanding, but simply isn’t true. In fact, myths like this can discourage family members from learning more about services that could significantly improve the quality of life for their seniors.
The main goal of hospice care is simply to make your senior as comfortable as possible during a period of pain and suffering. It combines pain and symptom management with emotional and spiritual support for both seniors and their families. On-call help is always available, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Visiting nurses eliminate the need to go to the doctor’s office for those who are bedridden. Families can even get help for personal care tasks like bathing.
Let’s bust some myths that often keep people from exploring if hospice care would be helpful for their older adult:
Myth #1 – Hospice is only for the last few days of life.
In reality, many people in hospice actually receive care for six months or even longer. To be eligible for hospice under Medicare, seniors need to have Medicare Part A and also have a doctor certify that they may not live more than six months. It’s very important to distinguish that this is not the same as saying that they will definitely pass away within six months. That is simply the starting point. If your senior’s condition has improved by then, s/he can be discharged from hospice care and return to a lower level of care. If they still need the same level of care, however, both the doctor and the hospice team will need to recertify that it is still appropriate for the individual to receive hospice services, which allows Medicare to continue covering the cost for another six months.
Myth #2 – Once someone goes on hospice, they’re going to die.
Don’t feel that once you call hospice in, you’re giving up hope that your senior will recover. Sometimes hospice services simply allow a patient to stabilize or to better manage their pain. Keep in mind that if their condition improves, patients can leave hospice care at any time, and then can return if or when they need to. Nothing is etched in stone.
Myth #3 – Choosing hospice means giving up all other medical treatment.
As mentioned above, the goal of hospice care is to improve quality of life by managing pain and symptoms better. While every case is different, in most instances once someone transitions to hospice, aggressive treatments for disease are in fact discontinued, but treatments that help improve pain and symptoms are continued. Check with your hospice company to see what their specific policy is. You’ll want to be sure to check if the specific medications or treatments your senior needs are included in that hospice company’s services.
Myth #4 – Hospice care only happens at facilities.
Hospice care doesn’t have to happen in a specific location. It’s simply a type of care. People actually receive hospice care in many types of locations, including at home, in a hospital, or in a care facility.
Myth #5 – Hospice is very expensive.
Quite the opposite is actually true. Those who are covered by Medicare usually pay little or nothing for hospice care. Additionally, most insurance plans, HMOs, and managed care plans also include coverage for hospice.
If your older adult needs more care than s/he is currently getting, or needs help managing pain or symptoms, it may be time to look into hospice care. Armed with knowledge and facts, you can reassure your loved one that bringing in hospice doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to die soon or that you’ve exhausted all other options. It’s simply an affordable, effective means of palliative care.