Hospice Helps Patients Remain at Home Instead of a Hospital

By Evalisa McClure

Facing a life-limiting diagnosis is rarely simple. When patients are ready to focus on comfort and quality of life, they may not want an expensive stay in the hospital or skilled nursing facility.

Hospice offers an alternative – particularly during COVID-19's heightened risks and restrictions.

Whether the patient has decided the side-effects of their current treatment plan outweigh its benefits, or their care provider has recommended end-of-life care, VITAS Healthcare makes transitioning to hospice care easy and safe for patients, families, caregivers, and physicians.

Hospice transitions begin with a team of specialists who confirm the patient’s hospice eligibility with a short assessment. Questions are asked and answered, and VITAS supports the patient’s and family’s informed decisions about their preferences for end-of-life care. The patient’s needs and goals come first, and reasonable efforts are made to care for the patient wherever they’re most comfortable. In most cases, this means home.

The VITAS team – physician, nurse hospice aide, social worker, chaplain, and volunteer – then develops a personalized plan, including any equipment and supplies the patient may require. Patients leaving a hospital or skilled nursing facility can still benefit from any specialized medical equipment they may have used in their care facility–right from the comfort of their home. Medicines that improve quality of life are delivered as well.

At home, hospice patients receive day-to-day care from a family caregiver with plenty of assistance and training from the hospice team, either in-person or via telehealth. Each week, team members visit on a schedule designed to meet the patient’s needs. Hospice patients also face fewer restrictions at home than in a facility, so families can work out a visitation plan that’s best for them.

If symptoms flare up and additional support is needed, VITAS offers Intensive Comfort Care® with 24/7 support from a crisis nurse until symptoms are back under control. Even as levels of service change, Medicare or private insurance continues to cover the cost of care 100%.

Most patients with advanced illness want to be home near the end of life. VITAS has the expertise, resources, and personnel to make that happen.

Evalisa McClure is general manager for VITAS Healthcare in Pittsburgh. For more information about end-of-life care services, call the nation’s leading provider at 866-759-6695 (available 24/7) or visit VITAS.com.