Hospice Care & Cost Explained

Author

St. Joseph Hospice

Posted on

Jul 25, 2022

Book/Edition

Alabama - Gulf Coast

What is Hospice?

Hospice not a "place," but a type of care. It is a unique philosophy and approach to end-of-life care that focuses on both the patient as well as their family. Hospice is holistic care, addressing physical, emotional, spiritual, and practical concerns.

Hospice Care Cost & Coverage

Hospice care is covered by MedicareMedicaid, and most private insurance plans, like all hospice agencies, whether they are for-profit or nonprofit.

St. Joseph Hospice also provides medication, durable medical equipment, and supplies related to the hospice diagnosis, with no charge to the patient.

Hospice Care: "Your Home or Ours"

St. Joseph Hospice brings comfort and supportive care to patients and caregivers, wherever they call home. Our care teams offer our full range of hospice services in the patient's or caregiver's home, senior living communities, assisted living, skilled nursing care facilities, and our own hospice care homes.

The Carpenter House with locations in Louisiana and Mississippi is your resource for comfort and end-of-life care and symptom management, along with respite care, to relieve hospice primary caregivers. It is a place of peace and comfort care for those facing terminal illnesses who need around-the-clock attention.

As a home-like inpatient hospice facility, The Carpenter House is more than hospice—it is a warm and comforting environment featuring a family room and family dining room, onsite chaplain and bereavement counselor to make patients and their families feel safe and at ease.

Common Hospice Misconceptions

Hospice means that the patient will soon die.

Receiving hospice care does not mean giving up hope or that death is imminent. The earlier an individual receives hospice care, the more opportunity there is to help manage symptoms and pain, address other needs and ensure a better quality of life for the patient and family.

Hospice is only for cancer patients

A large number of hospice patients have congestive heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, chronic lung disease, or other conditions.

Hospice means giving up hope

When faced with a terminal illness, many patients and family members tend to dwell on the imminent loss of life, rather than on making the most of the life that remains. Hospice helps patients reclaim the spirit of life. It helps them understand that even though death can lead to sadness, anger, and pain, it can also lead to opportunities for reminiscence, laughter, and reunion.

Once a patient elects hospice, he/she can no longer receive care from their primary care physician

Hospice reinforces the patient-primary physician relationship by advocating either office or home visits, according to the physician preference. Hospice agencies work closely with primary care physicians and consider the continuation of the patient-physician relationship to be of the highest priority.

Is Hospice Your Answer? 

Wondering if you or a loved one can benefit from hospice care? Take a few minutes to review the following questions that can help you decide whether hospice is the right choice for you or a loved one.  If you answer YES to four or more of these questions, it may be time to think about hospice.

  1. Been hospitalized or been to the ER several times in the past six months?
  2. Been making more frequent phone calls to physicians?
  3. Started taking medication to lessen physical pain?
  4. Started spending most of the day in a chair or bed?
  5. Fallen several times during the past six months?
  6. Started needing help from others with any of the following: bathing, eating, getting out of bed, dressing, cooking, or walking?
  7. Started feeling weaker or more tired?
  8. Experienced weight loss so that clothes are noticeably looser?
  9. Noticed a shortness of breath, even while resting?
  10. Been told by a doctor that life expectancy is limited?

Hospice Alternative

Patients who desire to continue curative care including chemotherapy, radiation, dialysis, etc. or symptom and pain management for illnesses such as advanced COPD and congestive heart failure can benefit from AIM Palliative Home HealthThis specially designed in-home palliative care program can also benefit anyone with a life-limiting illness needing more time and information to make informed decisions about treatment and care options.

This information was submitted by St. Joseph's Hospice located in Mobile, AL.  You can reach St. Joseph's at 251-675-7555 or 844-200-1104.


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Information on Nonopioid Alternatives for the Treatment of Pain

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Your Guide for Grief and Bereavement

Take Time to Grieve Avow provides guidance and support to families, relatives, friends and professional caregivers experiencing the loss through death of a significant relationship. Trained and experienced bereavement staff offer free programs to residents and visitors to the Collier County area. Understanding the ProcessUnderstanding the Process Loss through death can be one of lifes most difficult emotional challenges. Feelings may range from extreme loneliness and lack of energy to anxious activity, confusion and various physical symptoms. Few of us know what to expect and what to do. The grieving process may include some or all of the following: Shock and denial. Because of our own natural defense mechanisms, the announcement that a death has occurred is often shocking. It may take time for the reality of the tragedy to become clear. A sense of the unreality of death may recur throughout the grief process. Panic. 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Eventually, the loss diminishes and reinvestment in life occurs. Allowing time to feel all normal feelings of grief and to express that grief helps the bereaved person become ready to live a new life and make plans for the future. Feelings    Sadness    Anger    Guilt    Anxiety    Loneliness    Fatigue    Helplessness    Shock    Yearning    Emancipation Physical    Relief    Numbness    Hollowness in stomach    Tightness in chest or throat    Sense of depersonalization (nothings seems real)    Breathlessness    Weakness    Lack of energy    Dry mouth 2 Symptoms of Grief Cognitive    Disbelief    Confusion    Preoccupation    Sense of presence    Visions/hallucinations Behavioral    Sleep disturbance    Appetite disturbance    Absent-mindedness    Social withdrawal    Dreams of the deceased    Avoidance of reminders    Searching, calling out    Restless over-activity    Crying    Visiting places or carrying     objects as reminders    Treasuring objects of the  deceased Page Things You Might Experience You can expect that your grief will probably:   Take much longer than most people think it will/should.   Take more energy than you ever would have imagined.   Involve many changes and be continually developing.   Show itself in all spheres of your life: psychological, social and physical.   Entail mourning not only for the actual person you have lost but also for all the hopes, dreams and unfulfilled expectations you held for that person, and for the needs that will go unmet because of the death.   Involve a wide variety of feelings and reactions, not solely those that are generally thought of as grief, such as depression and sadness. You may have some identity confusion as a result of this major loss and of the reactions you are experiencing that may be quite different for you. You may:   Grieve for many things both symbolic and tangible, not just the death alone.   Have a combination of anger and depression, such as irritability, frustration, annoyance, or intolerance.   Feel some anger and guilt, or at least some manifestation of these emotions.   Lack self esteem.   Experience grief spasms: acute upsurges of grief that occur suddenly with no warning.   Have trouble thinking and making decisions.   Feel as if you are going crazy.   Find yourself having a number of physical reactions.   Find that there are certain dates, events, stimuli or even experiences that bring upsurges of grief.   Begin a search for meaning and question your religion and/or philosophy of life. Society may:     Have unrealistic expectations about your mourning and may respond inappropriately to you. 3Page Is There a Right Way to Grieve? This is a normal question. Each person has his or her own way and pace, but there are common reactions people seem to have. The following are natural responses to grieving loss. 4    Am I doing this right?     How should I feel?    I seem to have no control.    Im so relieved its over.    I hurt so much I ache.    Its as if Im on the outside looking    on as the world goes by.    I cant concentrate and Im     absentminded.    This cant be real.    My throat feels tight.    My chest feels heavy.    What do I have to live for?    Sometimes I get so angry.    I cry at unexpected times.    I dont want to be around others.    I dont want people seeing me     when Im sad.    What am I going to do?    Im not hungry anymore.    I seem to be eating all of the time.    I sometimes feel or hear the     presence of him/her.    I feel so empty.    I dont like making decisions alone.    I feel numb.    Im so lonely. Page Keys to Grief Release Expression take the time to be purposeful    Writing    Drawing    Artistry    Talking    Rituals    Memory box    Shrine    Plant a tree in memory of    Donation in memory of    Memorial service on special date    Wear black, mourning jewelry, armband    Hang a wreath    Sobbing (use a towel)    Humor and laughter Reminiscing and relationship examination Redefinition    Of self    Of roles    Of terms    Strength as courage not stoicism     Sobbing as courageous not falling apart Reading Seeking others support Belief examination Meditation/Prayer/Affirmations Giving self permission Balancing    Wallowing with staying busy    Expression with withdrawal    Solitude with social    Relief with sorrow    Reminiscing with planning the futureSteps to Survival 1. Recognize the loss.  For awhile, you are numb. It has happened - try not to avoid it. 2. Be with the pain.  Youre hurting. Admit it. To feel pain after loss is normal. It is proof that you are alive; proof that you are able to respond. 3. You are not alone.  Loss is part of life. Everyone experiences it. 4. Youre a beautiful, worthwhile person.  You are much more than the emotional wound you are presently feeling. 5. You will survive.  Believe that you will heal. 6. Give yourself time to heal.  The greater the loss, the more time it will take. 7. Healing has progressions and regressions.  Healing and growth are not smooth upward progressions, but are full of ups and downs - dramatic leaps and depressing backslides. 8. Tomorrow will come.  Your life has been full of positive experiences. They will return. 9. Take good care of yourself.  Get plenty of rest. Stick to a schedule. Plan your days. Activity will give you a sense of order. 10. Keep decision-making to a minimum.  Expect your judgment to be clouded for awhile. You are going through change; dont make more decisions than you have to. 11. Seek comfort from others.  Its human and courageous. 12. Surround yourself with living things.  A new plant, a pet, a bowl of fresh fruit. Reaffirm your beliefs.  Use your faith right now. Explore it, lean on it, grow. 14. Recognize that weekends and holidays are the worst. Schedule activities you particularly enjoy. 15. Suicidal thoughts: these may arise - they are a symptom of pain. If you feel that they are getting out of control, seek professional help. 16. Do your mourning now. Allow yourself to be with your pain. It will pass sooner. Postponed grief can return to hound you. Grief feelings will be expressed one way or another. 17. Be gentle with yourself. You have suffered a disabling emotional wound. Treat yourself with care. 18. Let yourself heal completely. Give yourself time. You are a convalescent right now. Dont jump into new things too quickly. 19. If mementos are helpful to you, use them. If they bind you to a dead past, however, get rid of them. Before you say hello, you must say goodbye. 20. Anticipate a positive outcome. Pain is acceptable - it tells us we are hurting. But it is not a welcome long-term visitor. 21. It is OK to feel depressed. Crying is cleansing - a wonderful release. Be with these feelings for awhile. 22. Its OK to feel anger. Everyone acts angry at the loss of love. Channel it wisely and it will go away as you heal. Hit a pillow. Kick a bed. Yell and scream when youre alone. Run. Play hard games. Hit a punching bag. Play the piano. 23. Good eating habits help the healing process. Make sure you are nourished. 24. Youre vulnerable. Your resistance will be low. Invite help only from those who are trustworthy. Beware of the rebound. Theres a hole in your life. Be careful about rushing to fill it. 26. Beware of addictive activities. Alcohol, drugs, food, and diversions can all momentarily help us escape from pain. These never help us to heal. 27. Set a time limit on mourning. Remaining distraught for a long time is no proof that youre really loved. Real love is self-supporting. 28. Keep a journal. Putting your thoughts and feelings on paper is a good way to get them out. You can also refer back and see just how far you have come. 29. Heal at your own pace. Never compare yourself to another grieving person. Each of us has our own time clock. 30. You will grow. As you work through your sadness, you will grow. You may begin to understand that change and separation are a natural part of living. You are a better person for having loved. 31. Begin to look to the future. Begin to experiment with new lifestyles - new ways of filling the day. They might even turn out to be fun. 32. Give yourself praise. You are a richer, deeper, wiser person for having survived your grief. 33. Be open. Be open to new people, places, ideas, and experiences, but dont forget to build on the past. Dont throw out what has been worthwhile to you. Small changes are the best at first. 34. Begin to give of yourself. Giving can bring you the greatest joy. 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There will always be certain things that trigger sadness again. This is normal. 36. Alone does not mean lonely. Solitude can be creative, restful, and even fun. You can learn to enjoy it. 37. Enjoy your freedom. You are now in control. Make the most of your choices. You can even learn to take risks. 38. Celebrate your survival! LOSS = PAIN = GROWTH

Local Services By This Author

St. Joseph Hospice

Hospice 23 Midtown Park W Unit B, Mobile, Alabama, 36606

Welcome to St. Joseph HospiceFounded in 2002, St. Joseph Hospice is named for the Patron Saint of a Peaceful Death, St. Joseph, and provides peace, comfort, support, and dignity to those facing life-limiting illnesses.What is Hospice?Hospice not a "place," but a type of care. It is a unique philosophy and approach to end-of-life care that focuses on both the patient as well as their family. Hospice is holistic care, addressing physical, emotional, spiritual, and practical concerns.St. Joseph Hospice Care ProvidersOur team is committed to helping patients welcome each day with the hope and expectation of tomorrow. St. Joseph Hospice provides every patient with a team of healthcare professionals who work together with the patient and family to meet their unique needs and wishes for care.The team at St. Joseph Hospice includes:Board-certified hospice & palliative care physiciansRegistered nursesLicensed practical nursesCertified nursing assistantsMedical social workersNon-denominational chaplains & pastorsBereavement professionalsHospice trained volunteersHospice Care Cost & CoverageHospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans, like all hospice agencies, whether they are for-profit or nonprofit.St. Joseph Hospice also provides medication, durable medical equipment, and supplies related to the hospice diagnosis, with no charge to the patient.Call St. Joseph's Hospice for more information at 251-675-7555

St. Joseph Hospice

Volunteer Opportunities 23 Midtown Park W, Mobile, Alabama, 36606

Ideal candidates have the following experience:nursing home volunteerdirect care volunteerhealth fair managemententertainment and activity planningoffice/administrative assistancespecial projectsMust meet the following qualifications:Confidentiality: Hospice volunteers should observe patients confidentiality by not discussing patients outside of direct contact with the hospice team. All volunteers must sign a statement of confidentiality.Good health: Hospice volunteer coordinators will make appropriate volunteer assignments according to the volunteers physical capabilities and risk level.Transportation: Hospice volunteers must be able to arrange transportation to and from their assignments.Training: All hospice volunteers who wish to have direct patient contact must complete the St. Joseph Hospice Volunteer Training program.Schedule: Hospice volunteers time will be assigned according to individual schedules; however, its expected that volunteers be able to accept the majority of requests for service and be available on short notice should the need arise.Dress: Hospice volunteers dont have to wear a uniform but must wear identification name tags at all times and dress appropriately.Alcohol/drugs: Hospice volunteers are prohibited from visiting patients while under the influence of alcohol or nonprescription drugs.