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Tip Sheets
Hospice Care
Hospice is a philosophy of care to
assist persons who are terminally ill- those with a life
expectancy of six months or less. The focus in on providing
care in one’s home whenever possible. However, hospice
care is provided in nursing homes and in a few residential
hospices in Minnesota.
Hospice care is palliative care or
comfort care (rather than curative active treatment),
symptom control and pain relief. The care is holistic
focusing on the person’s emotional, social, physical and
spiritual needs coordinated and provided by a
physician-directed team of professionals: a social worker,
nurses, therapists, home health aides, clergy and
volunteers.
The hospice team often works in
partnership with other agencies to ensure that the
individual receives necessary services. Each hospice has
available, 24 hours a day, a staff person to talk with about
any concerns relating to the person’s condition.
Generally, a nurse coordinates the person’s care. Grief
counseling is available to both the individual and family.
In Minnesota all hospice programs must
operate under a hospice license. About two thirds of them
are also Medicare-certified. The Minnesota Department of
Health licenses and certifies hospice programs.
The main difference between a
Medicare-certified and a licensed-only hospice is that
Medicare pays for certain medications.
Choosing a hospice depends on the
individual’s entire health condition. Talk with your
physician about the hospice option.
MEDICARE HOSPICE CARE
To be eligible for Medicare hospice
benefits you must:
- Be enrolled in Part A Medicare;
- Receive a physician certification that you are
terminally ill (life expectancy of twelve months or
less);
- Sign a statement that you choose to use the hospice
benefit (you must enroll out of your standard Part A
benefit); and
- Select a Medicare-certified hospice program.
Hospice care is given in periods of care:
- Two 90-day periods followed by an unlimited number of
60-day periods.
At the beginning of each period of care,
your physician must certify that you are terminally ill.
You may stop hospice care at any time and
return to your original Medicare plan or your Medicare
managed care plan.
The hospice services covered by Medicare
are:
- Doctor services
- Nursing care
- Medical equipment (such as a hospital bed, walker or
wheelchair)
- Medical supplies (such as bandages or bladder control
supplies)
- Drugs for symptom control and pain relief
- Home health aide and homemaker services
- Physical, occupational and speech therapy
- Social worker services
- Dietary counseling
- Short-term care in the hospital (including respite
care*)
- Counseling to help you and your family with grief and
loss
The team of people who deliver the above
services work together to plan and coordinate your care with
you and your family.
It is important to note that although
hospice has a staff person available on-call 24 hours a day,
the services, such as home health aide services, are
generally provided only a few hours a day or week. If you
need more assistance, you will need to pay for it or seek
another source such as Alternative Care or Medical
Assistance. The hospice social worker can help locate
resources.
Medicare pays the hospice directly for
your care and you must pay a portion of the cost of
outpatient drugs and inpatient respite care.
*Respite care is care available so that
the person (typically a relative) who cares for you on a
regular basis can have time for rest or to attend to other
matters. Medicare pays for your respite care in a
Medicare-approved place such as a residential hospice,
hospital or nursing home.
For more information about hospice or to
locate a hospice in Minnesota contact:
Hospice Minnesota
1600 University Ave. W., Suite 301
St. Paul, MN 55104
651-659-0423 or toll free: 1-866-290-4321
www.hospicemn.org
For licensing information about Minnesota
hospice programs contact:
Minnesota Department of Health
Facility & Provider Compliance Division
P.O. Box 64900
St. Paul, MN 55164-0900
651-215-8701
www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fpc
For more information about Medicare
hospice visit: www.medicare.gov
To place a complaint about a hospice provider contact:
Office of Health Facility Complaints
P.O. Box 64970
St. Paul, MN 55164-0970
651-215-8713 or 1-800-369-7994
or
Office of Ombudsman for Older Minnesotans
121 E. 7th Place, Suite 410
St. Paul, MN 55101
651-296-0382 or 1-800-657-3591
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