We are always coming across statistics in the literature and comments from providers who tell us about people getting into hospice care too late to truly benefit from all that it has to offer. Primarily it's because one must choose to elect the service and therefore must suspend any curative or prolonging therapies. Most people are not wanting to do that. Totally get that. So what we really need to be looking at is how to deliver high-quality, compassionate, multi-disciplinary end-of-life care seamlessly--no need to elect it. As the needs grow at the end of life, certain services, like additional nursing visits, just begin to build. The problem is, no one has figured out a way to contain or control the costs in something that has no boundaries, like the current Medicare Hospice Benefit.
Hospice Foundation continues to look at this issue, to encourage collaborations among our grant recipients to enhance the end-of-life experience for all.
What do you think? How should this care be handled?
Showing posts with label choosing hospice care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label choosing hospice care. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Taking A Broader Approach to End-of-Life Care
Let's face it. We all don't pay much attention to how we want to receive care at the end of life because we're too busy living our lives: taking care of kids, working hard, looking after aging parents or grandparents. It's tough to face the fact that the end of our lives will one day be upon us. Americans like to avoid the subject altogether.
Studies have shown that most of us want to spend our final days at home, surrounded by loved ones and all things familiar. No one wants to be in pain and most everyone certainly wants uncomfortable symptoms to be controlled.
But every person is different. Every family is different. A cookie cutter approach to the appropriate care and services doesn't serve the needs.
Yes, hospice care is a wonderful, compassionate broad-ranging plan of care for people at the end of life. We're huge champions. Most of Hospice Foundation's funding supports core hospice services. But hospice isn't for everyone because of its eligibility requirements--that the patient seeks only pain and symptom control and no longer curative therapies. Nor does it serve the full range of needs out there.
That's why Hospice Foundation has taken an innovative, proactive approach, working with local providers of end-of-life services, to determine the greatest needs in the community for end of life care and funding those services. We fund a range of end of life services, and we advocate for changes in the system to improve access to care for all.
For example, because of the hospice eligibility requirements by state and insurance payors, this option for years didn't sit well with parents. They didn't want to forego curative care and treatments for their kids, even if these weren't likely to change the course of their child's illness. Most parents don't want to go there, and they shouldn't have to. That's why we helped fund changes to the law and terminally ill kids can now receive hospice-like care at home while still undergoing treatments.
Whether it is for children or adults, Hospice Foundation is about funding solutions. We're also about ensuring that high-quality compassionate end-of-life care and services are available to all today and into the future. Please read more about our work on our website: http://www.hospicegiving.org/ and join the conversation on our Facebook page. Find Hospice Foundation. Tell us what you think.....
Studies have shown that most of us want to spend our final days at home, surrounded by loved ones and all things familiar. No one wants to be in pain and most everyone certainly wants uncomfortable symptoms to be controlled.
But every person is different. Every family is different. A cookie cutter approach to the appropriate care and services doesn't serve the needs.
Yes, hospice care is a wonderful, compassionate broad-ranging plan of care for people at the end of life. We're huge champions. Most of Hospice Foundation's funding supports core hospice services. But hospice isn't for everyone because of its eligibility requirements--that the patient seeks only pain and symptom control and no longer curative therapies. Nor does it serve the full range of needs out there.
That's why Hospice Foundation has taken an innovative, proactive approach, working with local providers of end-of-life services, to determine the greatest needs in the community for end of life care and funding those services. We fund a range of end of life services, and we advocate for changes in the system to improve access to care for all.
For example, because of the hospice eligibility requirements by state and insurance payors, this option for years didn't sit well with parents. They didn't want to forego curative care and treatments for their kids, even if these weren't likely to change the course of their child's illness. Most parents don't want to go there, and they shouldn't have to. That's why we helped fund changes to the law and terminally ill kids can now receive hospice-like care at home while still undergoing treatments.
Whether it is for children or adults, Hospice Foundation is about funding solutions. We're also about ensuring that high-quality compassionate end-of-life care and services are available to all today and into the future. Please read more about our work on our website: http://www.hospicegiving.org/ and join the conversation on our Facebook page. Find Hospice Foundation. Tell us what you think.....
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Spirituality and End-of-Life Care Conference
Join us for an enlightening and engaging discussion exploring the topic of "Spirituality and End of Life Care" and featuring two panels of renowned professionals from the clergy, health and human service sectors on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at California State University, Monterey Bay. Space is limited; Reservations required to 831-333-9023. Admission by April 8 is $35 and includes lunch; $40 after April 8. More info: http://www.hospicegiving.org
Panelists will discuss and explore the emotional, practical, spiritual and health concerns that emerge throughout a serious illness and at the end-of-life. They will define spirituality as different from religion, and evaluate approaches to end-of-life reminiscence, life review, and dignity enhancement. They will describe successful approaches to helping people utilize and enhance their coping capabilities through various spiritual practices, rituals, beliefs, and within various faith communities.
Ten local non-profit providers will have displays and representatives on hand to answer questions about their services. All are Hospice Foundation grant recipients.
See you there!
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Medicare May Soon Cover "Concurrent Care"
It's well documented that sometimes families will choose to continue curative treatments for a terminally ill loved one, even if a cure is unlikely, rather than choose palliative care that focuses on symptom management and comfort care. No one wants to feel like they are "giving up" on a loved one. They understandably want to try everything medically possible to try and cure or slow down the advance of disease.
Complicating the issue is that many insurance programs and Medicare stipulate that patients must choose to forego further curative treatments before they can be admitted into a hospice program and receive its comfort-based measures. Unfortunately, the decision to seek hospice care is too often made just days or hours before the death of the ill family member. He or she has not been able to benefit from the many wonderful, supportive services the hospice team provides.
The good news is that soon patients and families may no longer have to make such a heart-breaking choice.
The U.S. Health & Human Services Dept., which administers Medicare, is undertaking a"concurrent care" study to see how to combine (and cover) curative treatments with palliative care. Can this perplexing issue be heading toward a solution? We certainly hope so because this is the right thing to do.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/05/24/prsb0524.htm
Complicating the issue is that many insurance programs and Medicare stipulate that patients must choose to forego further curative treatments before they can be admitted into a hospice program and receive its comfort-based measures. Unfortunately, the decision to seek hospice care is too often made just days or hours before the death of the ill family member. He or she has not been able to benefit from the many wonderful, supportive services the hospice team provides.
The good news is that soon patients and families may no longer have to make such a heart-breaking choice.
The U.S. Health & Human Services Dept., which administers Medicare, is undertaking a"concurrent care" study to see how to combine (and cover) curative treatments with palliative care. Can this perplexing issue be heading toward a solution? We certainly hope so because this is the right thing to do.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/05/24/prsb0524.htm
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