Hospice Services

Hospice is a Medicare Part A funded program to care for and support people with terminal diagnosis as well as their families and loved ones. Lucky Hospice is a service that is tailored for individuals facing a life-limiting illness. Our hospice team’s MAIN focus is on comfort and quality of life, as determined by the patient or their POA. Together we focus on the patient and their loved one’s addressing needs on every level – physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual. You may be considering hospice due to noticing:

• Progressive loss of function
• Repeated hospitalizations
• Current medical treatment outweighs the benefit
• Decline despite curative treatments
• Decision to stop curative measures

1. It is for people who have been diagnosed to have about 6 months or less to live if the illness runs its normal course.
2. Frequent Hospitalizations in past six months
3. Compromised activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring-walking and continence.
4. Deteriorating mental abilities.

Anywhere the patient calls home.Hospice is most commonly provided in the patient’s own home, where they find peace and comfort. However, it can also be provided in a nursing home or other settings.

Nine out of ten adults say they would prefer to live out their lives peacefully at home with their loved ones, rather than in a hospital or nursing home.

Your doctor and the hospice team will work with you and your family to set up a plan of care that meets your needs. Your plan of care includes multidisciplinary services provided by the following professionals:

• Hospice Doctors
• Nurses
• Home Health Aides
• Social Workers
• Case Managers
• Spiritual Counselors
• Bereavement Counselors
• Volunteers

Lucky Palliative Services, Inc. will be available on-call 24/7

There are four levels of care. The hospice team is responsible for determining when a level of care change is needed and which is the most appropriate.

1. Routine Home Care is provided wherever the patient resides, be it at home or in a skilled nursing facility.
2. Acute Inpatient Care is provided during periods of crisis in a hospice inpatient unit or skilled nursing facility.
3. Continuous Care is provided during periods of crisis when a patient remains at home while acute symptoms are being resolved.
4. Respite Care is provided on an occasional basis in a skilled nursing facility if the usual caregiver needs rest for five days when needed.

If the patient lives longer than six months, the patient can still get hospice care as long as the hospice doctor recertifies that the patient is still terminally ill. Services to the patients generally are available for six months prior to when the death is expected. Since no one can accurately predict the date of death, Medicare provides flexibility.You can keep your doctor as a secondary, so your PCP will be kept in the loop. While you are on hospice, the hospice doctor will be your primary in case of emergency in the middle of the night or medication changes need to be made stat.

Benefit Periods

Hospice care is given in benefit periods. You can get hospice care for two 90- day period followed by an unlimited number of the 60-day period. At the start of each period, the hospice medical director or another hospice doctor must recertify that you’re terminally ill, so you can continue to get hospice care.

A benefit period starts the day you begin to get hospice care, and it ends when your 90-day or 60-day period ends.

Documents to Sign

1. Election of Hospice Benefits and Informed Consent
2. Patient’s Rights and Responsibilities
3. Plan for Caregiver’s Services
4. Request for Confidential Communications regarding Medical Information
5. DNR/ DNI (Do Not Resuscitate / Do Not Intubate)
6. POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment)

Stopping Hospice Care

You always have the right to stop hospice care at any time for any reason.
If you’re eligible, you can go back to hospice care at any time.

What Medicare Will Cover

1. Durable Medical Equipment (DME)
2. Medications Related to Terminal Diagnosis
3. Incontinent Supplies (diapers, pull-ups, chux, wipes, etc.)

What Medicare Won’t Cover

1. Treatment intended to cure your terminal illness
2. Prescription drugs to cure your illness ( rather than for symptom control or pain relief)
3. Care in an emergency room, inpatient facility care, or ambulance by your hospice team or is unrelated to your terminal illness.

Examples of Patient’s Rights

1. Be informed of your rights in a manner, which you understand.
2. Make informed decisions regarding proposed and ongoing care and services.
3. Have complaint heard, reviewed, and if possible, resolved.
4. Confidentiality of information, privacy, and security.
5. Be involved in the care planning process.
6. Be treated with consideration, respect, and full recognition of dignity and individuality, including privacy in treatment and care for personal needs.

What Happens Once Hospice Care Is Acquired?

1. RN Assessment
2. Medications/Comfort Pack
3. Equipment
4. All Disciplines Are Implemented
5. 24/7