Hospice care can often help sooner than you think.
November is National Home Care & Hospice month.
Hospice is a type of care that is frequently misunderstood. Many people assume that hospice care is only available during the last days or weeks of someone’s life. The reality is that hospice care is a benefit that can support an aging parent or other loved who is terminally ill for months, and in some cases, even years.
Kim & Mike Barnes of Parenting Aging Parents talk with Jennifer Prescott of Partnering Sponsor Blue Water Homecare and Hospice. They discuss how hospice care focuses on pain relief and managing symptoms, instead of trying to cure the patient’s illness, along with who pays for hospice care, do you need a doctor’s order, can you still have your own doctor, where can hospice care be provided and how do you ask for it.
Read the full transcript
Transcript of Interview: “When does my parent need hospice care?”
Mike Barnes:
I think that in the dictionary where it says hospice, there should be a word next to it that says misconceptions because we all have them.
Kim Barnes:
Absolutely, there’s a lot of confusion about when hospice can be brought in and exactly what services it provides.
Today, we’re going to talk to Jennifer Prescott from Bluewater Home Care and Hospice to help explain some of those misconceptions. We want to make sure people realize that hospice is a service and a benefit that many might qualify for but may overlook because they don’t think they qualify.
Jennifer Prescott:
Thanks for having me. I’m really excited to be here.
Kim Barnes:
Let’s start with the first misconception: people think hospice is a place you have to go, but it’s really more of a service, although it can be a place too.
Jennifer Prescott:
Exactly, hospice is a service that can be provided in your home, a nursing home, a memory care facility, assisted living—wherever your home is.
Mike Barnes:
When might we qualify for it? A lot of people assume that they aren’t eligible because they think it means their life expectancy is very short, but it can be a service or benefit that you can use for years.
Jennifer Prescott:
Exactly, one of the biggest misconceptions is that people hear “six months or less” and think they don’t qualify. But we want to look at changes in a person’s life, such as no longer seeking aggressive treatment for conditions like cancer, having frequent hospitalizations, or experiencing significant weight loss. It’s important to have a conversation with your physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant to see if hospice is appropriate.
Mike Barnes:
Do we have to ask our doctor for hospice, or does the doctor usually recommend it to us?
Jennifer Prescott:
Unfortunately, in my experience, it’s usually the families that need to bring it up. Home health agencies might also notice a plateau and suggest it. The great thing about hospice is that you don’t need an order to have a hospice professional come to your home for a conversation. There is no cost to that.
Kim Barnes:
And then the hospice agency could reach out to the doctor to get the order if it’s needed?
Jennifer Prescott:
Absolutely. We usually send some information to the treating physician, and then that doctor or nurse practitioner can write an order for us to do an evaluation. Many times, we find that the person is appropriate for hospice services, but sometimes they aren’t quite there yet. It’s better to plan ahead and establish relationships in the community.
Kim Barnes:
I like the evaluation process because it takes the burden off us to list everything. We can trust the experts to guide us.
Jennifer Prescott:
Exactly. You don’t need to do anything except pick up the phone. We do the fact-finding and in-person evaluation. Even if your parent isn’t quite there yet, we can help with pre-planning and have a provider ready when the time comes.
Mike Barnes:
Can you give us an idea of what hospice services include?
Jennifer Prescott:
Medicare has the best benefit with the hospice Medicare benefit. Services provided include a nurse, social worker, chaplain or spiritual support, bereavement program for the family, certified nurse assistants for bathing, dressing, and grooming, and a physician. Families can choose to use their own physician or our medical director.
Kim Barnes:
What kind of care is included if your aging parent is on hospice?
Jennifer Prescott:
A typical week might include daily nursing visits if needed, weekly social worker visits, chaplain support, and certified nurse assistants for personal care. Each plan is individualized based on the person’s needs. This support helps avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and provides comfort and care in the home.
Mike Barnes:
Does Medicare cover all of this? Do we have to worry about which Medicare plan our parent is on?
Jennifer Prescott:
Typically, if someone is on a Medicare Advantage plan, they will transition to standard Medicare for hospice coverage. Commercial insurance and Medicaid also cover hospice. Our billing department can run benefits and inform families of any potential copays.
Kim Barnes:
What are the most typical conditions that would make our aging parents qualify for hospice?
Jennifer Prescott:
The most common conditions include Alzheimer’s or dementia, frequent falls, infections, hospitalizations, weight loss, and conditions like cardiac or respiratory diseases. Hospice is an additional level of care when a person is not improving despite treatments. It’s important to know you can’t have hospice and home health simultaneously, except in very rare cases.
Kim Barnes:
Rather than having to go to the hospital for things like UTIs, hospice aims to manage these conditions at home, right?
Jennifer Prescott:
Yes, our goal is to avoid hospitalizations. For example, if someone has a UTI, we can quickly start antibiotics and provide care at home, which is less stressful for everyone, especially those with memory issues.
Mike Barnes:
How do we know if our loved one qualifies for hospice?
Jennifer Prescott:
If the disease progresses normally, would you be surprised if the person wasn’t with us in six months? Indicators include falls, infections, weight loss, and overall decline in health. It’s about providing the right care at the right time.
Kim Barnes:
There’s a misconception that hospice means stopping all medications, but that’s not the case, right?
Jennifer Prescott:
Absolutely not. We evaluate all medications to ensure they are appropriate for the current stage of the disease. We focus on the right medication at the right time to keep people comfortable and able to enjoy life.
Mike Barnes:
It shows how many misconceptions there are. Rather than guessing, reach out to an expert like Jennifer Prescott from Bluewater Home Care and Hospice to get accurate answers.
Jennifer Prescott:
Thank you so much for having me. Feel free to call our office at 512-647-2341 or check us out at bluewaterhomecare.com for more information and helpful checklists.
Kim Barnes:
Thank you, Jennifer. It’s crucial to get the right answers to ensure we provide the best care for our aging parents.
Mike Barnes:
Yes, knowing whether you need home care, home health care, or hospice is essential for making your parent’s life as enjoyable as possible.
Kim Barnes:
If you have suggestions or ideas for topics you’d like us to cover, let us know. We’ll bring on experts to help answer your questions.
*This transcript is auto-generated. Please excuse any typos or mistakes.
