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Admission
Criteria
To be eligible for Hand In Hand Hospice services, patients must agree to receive palliative care, that is, care that helps ease pain and discomforting symptoms, rather than seeking care that attempts to cure a disease. The patient’s primary physician and the Hospice medical director must also agree that the patient’s estimated life expectancy is six months or less if the illness runs its normal course. However, patients that live longer than six months can continue to be eligible for hospice care if the doctor recertifies that the illness is terminal.
Hand In Hand’s care is available to terminally ill patients with a wide range of diagnoses including but not limited to:
· Pulmonary diseases
· Kidney
diseases
· Heart
diseases
· Metastasic
cancer
· Alzheimer’s
/ Dementia diseases
· Neurological
diseases (e.g., Stroke)
· Parkinson’s
disease
· Liver
diseases
· Lou
Gehrig’s (ALS) disease
· Multiple
Sclerosis (MS)
· AIDS
· Diabetes
Patients who do not fall under any of the specific diagnostic categories may still be eligible for hospice care. For example, an elderly debilitated patient whose intake of food and fluid has declined to the point where weight loss has become significant, although no specific disease predominates, can be admitted to hospice.
Active
Patient and Family Involvement
Hand In Hand believes the patient and family should be involved with the care plan; therefore, each care plan is individualized to meet their specific needs. Hospice team members constantly seek input from the patient and family members during the period of care to insure the best possible care plan.
Who
may make referrals?
Anyone may refer a client to hospice care and services are provided as ordered by the patient's physician. Services are provided to all persons who meet admission criteria regardless of race, color, age, national origin, religion, sex or handicap.
How
are services paid for?
Most public and private insurance companies cover hospice costs. These include Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Benefits and requirements may vary. Hospice care is also provided to persons meeting the admission criteria regardless of their ability to pay.
"You matter to the last moment of your life, and we will do all we can, not
only to help you die peacefully, but to live until you die." |