You may have just heard the word of hospice for the first time
and have 100 questions to ask.
Today I want to spend a few minutes with you and try
to answer some of the most important questions about
hospice care that you may have.
Hi I'm Matthew Cox with Nathan Adelson Hospice.
Simply put hospice care is a specialized health
care for people dealing with life limiting illness.
Hospice care helps to improve quality of life
so that you or your loved ones spend every day
free from pain or suffering.
With over 40 years of experience Nathan Adelson Hospice
is recognized as Southern Nevada's
hospice of choice,
employer of preference and training
Center of excellence.
To help you and your loved ones better understand
the benefits of hospice care here are some of the most
common questions we're asked.
Do I receive 24 hour supportive care?
Each patient and family have a case manager
that works directly with them to determine the amount of care
that your loved one needs.
What makes hospice care unique is a team of highly
trained professionals supporting our
patients and their loved ones.
Nathan Adeslon Hospice specialized care
teams include physicians, advance nurse practitioners,
registered licensed nurses, certified nursing assistants,
social workers,
spiritual care professionals and specially
trained volunteers.
You can expect routine visits to your home
throughout the week.
In an emergency support is available 24 hours a day
seven days a week.
Professional members of our team are just a phone
call away at 702-733-0320.
At Nathan Adelson Hospice we encourage your
physician to continue to serve as your primary doctor.
Working in collaboration with our medical team your
primary care physician is invited to attend
conferences and can oversee your plan of care.
You can expect to be included in these important
and valuable discussions.
Can I live in your inpatient facility?
We understand that most patients and their
families prefer to be in the comfort of their own
home in their own surroundings.
Yet Nathan Adelson Hospice is fortunate enough to have
two impatient facilities.
Hospice care in our inpatient units are intended
for management of pain and symptoms that cannot
otherwise be managed in a home setting.
If you or your loved one require care in our
inpatient setting you can expect to return
home within a few days.
Will my insurance cover hospice care?
Medicare patients are fully covered for all
Nathan Adelson Hospice services related to their
terminal illness.
Typically there are no out-of-pocket expenses.
Private insurance and HMO plans will often cover hospice
services through a specific hospice
benefit or through hospital,
home health or private duty benefits.
Our list of insurers can be found on the link below.
We've also produce an additional video
and blog article that explains a little bit more
about the costs of hospice care.
Please click on the link below if you have
more questions. Do you pay for housing? No.
If a patient is in need of housing our social
workers will help to identify available community resources.
Will hospice cover my medication?
Medicare and major insurances usually cover all costs
of medications that are related to a terminal diagnosis.
For example if a patient wore glasses prior to entering
the final stages of a life limiting illness the glasses
or eye exam would not be covered but any
medications for the disease itself would be covered.
How long can I stay on hospice care?
The time period for hospice is not set in stone.
There is no book that tells you that you can be on hospice
care today and off tomorrow.
Hospice care is unique to you or your loved
one's medical condition.
Every patient's condition and experience is different.
Each of you will meet with a case manager
and a team of caregivers that will determine
when is appropriate for you to be on hospice
care and the amount of time that you're on hospice care.
Will I have to have a feeding tube?
As mentioned every patient has their own unique
experience to their specific health condition.
Offering the utmost respect at all times we strive
to provide medical interventions that support your goal and best
address your medical needs.
Some patients may determine that they'd like a feeding
tube and other patients may determine that that's not
what is appropriate for them.
Our care team will collaborate with you and your primary care
physician to determine necessary and most
effective treatments.
Will you still feed patients on hospice care?
Hospice care neither prolongs life nor delays death.
If patients can or desire to eat or drink
they most certainly can.
If feeding interferes with the comfort
of you or your loved one then the intake of food
can be discontinued.
What is the difference between for
profit and nonprofit hospice?
Our Nathan Adelson Hospice Foundation
raises money so that we can provide care
to uninsured and underinsured members of our community.
As a mission driven organization we also provide
additional supporting programs and services
not funded by Medicare or private insurance.
Based on medical needs our patients often benefit
from these additional services.
These are just a few questions we are asked on a regular basis.
For a more in-depth article on what hospice
is please click on the link below.
I hope this time together has been able
to answer some of your questions about hospice care.
We're available to you 24 hours a day seven days a week.
If you have any questions please feel free
to call us at 702-733-0320.
Thank you for watching and we look forward to caring
for your loved one.