Hospice Care

What is Hospice?

 Hospice cares for the terminally ill by focusing on pain relief, symptom management and emotional and spiritual end-of-life issues. Hospice does not try to cure disease. 

Who Orders Hospice?

 A family can request a hospice evaluation if the patient resides in a private residence, although a Vision Viejo Hospice admissions team member will need to conduct an evaluation and coordinate with the patient's primary physician to make sure the patient meets federal hospice eligibility guidelines. 

For patients residing in an acute or post-acute facility, a physician's order is required for an evaluation and hospice order. 

 Referrals can be made around the clock by calling 949-328-3227 or visiting www.visionviejohospice.com. You need to supply basic patient information; a Vision Viejo Hospice admissions clinician interviews the patient and/or family, contacts the physician and admits the patient, if eligible. 

Is there a cost for a resident to be evaluated for hospice care? 

To qualify for services, a resident is evaluated by Vision Viejo Hospice admission team at no cost to resident or the facility. 

 The initial hospice benefit period is 90 days. A patient can be recertified for an additional 90-day period. After the initial 180-day period, two subsequent 60-day recertifications are possible, and both require a face-to-face encounter between the certifying physician and the hospice patient. 

What is the pre-requisite for hospice care?

Patients can qualify for hospice when they have a prognosis of six months or less.  As provided by Medicare Part A, the most common prerequisite is “a medical prognosis that the resident’s life expectancy is six months or less if the illness runs its normal course.” 

What are "Hospice levels of Care"? 

 Medicare outlines four levels of hospice care to address different needs. 

Medicare requires all hospice providers to offer four levels of care to address different needs of patients and families:

1. Routine hospice care in the home
2. Shifts of acute symptom management in the home when medically necessary. Vision Viejo Hospice  calls this Crisis Comfort Care®; it is also called “continuous home care.”
3. Round-the-clock inpatient care when symptoms cannot be managed at home.
4. Respite inpatient care for the patient when the family caregiver is away 1−5 days.

When exactly is the right time for hospice?

 Hospice services can begin when a doctor decides the patient’s life expectancy is six months or less. Hospice services are more efficacious if provided for months rather than days or hours. There is general dissatisfaction among families who believe their loved ones were referred to hospice too late. They reported more unmet needs, greater concerns, and lower satisfaction with the overall quality of care. 

Where do patients go to receive hospice services? 

 Hospice services are typically brought to wherever the patient calls home—a private residence, assisted living community or nursing home. Patients can also receive hospice services while in the hospital, or in an inpatient hospice unit.