Mercy Hospice Care: Frequently Asked Questions
What is hospice?
Hospice is a special form of care designed to improve the quality of a patient’s final days.
Its primary focus is to ease the symptoms of illness, with a special emphasis on pain and symptom management. It also addresses the social, emotional and spiritual issues that a patient and his family will face. Our trained professionals and volunteers work together with family members to offer comfort and dignity during the patient’s last days.
What specific assistance does hospice offer patients living at home?
You or your loved one will be cared for by a team of physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors, hospice certified nursing assistants, clergy, therapists and volunteers. Mercy Hospice Care provides an individualized plan of care that includes patient medications related to the terminal condition (including pain medication), and other related needs including supplies, equipment, personal care, and hospital and respite services, if indicated.
Who should make the decision about entering hospice and when?
For patients with a life-limiting illness, there may come a time when aggressive efforts to treat a disease are no longer an option or create more distress, pain and harm than good; this may be the time to consider hospice services. Anyone may refer a patient to Mercy Hospice Care services. Although hospice care requires a physician’s order, you or your loved one may suggest it at any time as part of your care options. If you’d like more information about Mercy Hospice Care services, please call (608) 754-2201 or (800) 369-2201.
How is hospice care different from other types of home health care?
Rather than focusing on curative treatments, hospice simply focuses on making a patient’s final days comfortable. Physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers, spiritual counselors, home aides and volunteers all work as a coordinated support team. At Mercy Hospice Care, we also focus on more than the patient—we focus on the entire family. As part of our recovery and grief support, your care provider maintains contact with your family for at least a year after the patient’s death. Often the relationships go on for much longer.
Where does hospice care take place?
Depending on the needs of you or your loved one, hospice care may be provided in almost any setting, including the patient’s home, a friend or relative’s home, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living centers or senior housing. In most cases, patients prefer to receive care in the comfort and security of their own homes.
Who is eligible to receive hospice services?
Any patient diagnosed with a terminal illness may be eligible. Mercy Hospice Care's pain management and emotional support programs will help the patient spend his or her remaining days in comfort, peace and dignity.
Who can refer a patient to Mercy Hospice Care services?
Anyone can refer a friend, patient, or family member to Mercy Home Health Care or Mercy Hospice Care. You don’t have to wait for a physician to recommend home health or hospice services. Requests for home health or hospice services that come through a non-physician source simply result in a phone call to the patient’s primary physician for approval to admit the patient to services once an eligibility evaluation has been completed. And since health care instruction is one of our highest priorities, our specialists will be happy to answer any questions you might have concerning your health and comfort. For more information about Mercy Home Health Care or Mercy Hospice Care services, please call (608) 754-2201 or (800) 369-2201.
What is Mercy Hospice Care's admission process?
After we receive a referral, one of our experienced staff members visits the patient and his or her family in their home. We offer a free evaluation, thoroughly explain our services, answer questions and provide the benefit of our years of experience in helping patients and their families make a decision about hospice care. We also consult with the patient’s doctor to ensure that hospice care is an appropriate choice. Finally, we will deliver a consent form to confirm that hospice care is the patient’s desired treatment. Once signed, hospice care can begin almost immediately, usually in four hours or less.
Can a hospice patient who shows signs of recovery return to regular treatment?
Yes, it’s their right. If the patient’s condition improves or the disease moves into remission, the patient can be discharged and return to curative therapy and normal daily life. If the patient should need to return to hospice care again, Medicare and most private insurance providers will allow additional coverage.
Is there any special equipment or changes that I will need to make in my home for hospice?
Our hospice staff will assess your needs and arrange for any necessary equipment
(e.g., hospital bed, wheel chair, oxygen, etc.).
How does Mercy Hospice Care manage pain?
For most hospice patients, even a small amount of relief can seem like a miracle. Fortunately, Mercy Hospice services often bring immense relief and a sense of comfort to patients who suffer.
In collaboration with your primary physician and our Mercy Hospice Care medical directors, our specially trained nurses will provide you or your loved one with the latest treatments and medications for pain and symptom relief. In addition, Mercy Hospice Care's physical and occupational therapists can help patients become as mobile and self-sufficient as possible. Pain can also be managed with diet counseling. Emotional and spiritual pain can be just as agonizing as physical pain and Mercy Hospice Care offers qualified counselors, including clergy, to assist both the patient and the patient’s family to cope with emotional and spiritual distress.
What is Mercy Hospice Care's success rate in relieving pain and other uncomfortable symptoms?
Very high. Mercy Hospice Care's combination of medication, counseling and therapy typically helps patients attain significant relief, comfort and peace of mind.
Does someone always have to be with the patient?
In the early stages of care, constant monitoring is usually unnecessary. However, one of the most common fears a hospice patient experiences is the fear of dying alone, so we generally recommend someone be continuously present in later weeks. As the disease progresses, if the hospice patient is unable to remain home independently or has needs beyond those that can be met in the home, the Mercy Hospice Care team will assist the patient in finding appropriate alternatives.
How often will a Mercy Hospice Care staff member visit the patient?
Mercy Hospice Care is committed to providing the highest level of care to our patients. As part of meeting that goal, we do not limit the number of visits to our hospice patients. We will visit the patient as often as they need us to.
Will the same nurse or therapist visit the patient all the time?
Mercy Hospice Care is committed to providing the highest level of care to our patients. As part of meeting that goal, we do not limit the number of visits to our hospice patients. We will visit the patient as often as they need us to.
How do I pay for Hospice?
Medicare, Medicaid, Veteran’s Administration, private insurance providers and many HMOs typically cover hospice and (if your are homebound) home health care. Private payments are also accepted. Call Mercy Hospice Care at (608) 754-2201 or (800) 369-2201 and our staff will be happy to help you determine if you are qualified for benefits.
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