Comfort. Relief. Support. Hospice care isn’t one-size-fits-all, and patients may require differing types of care during their hospice journey – whether it’s over the course of six days or six months. In order to meet a patient’s changing needs, the hospice benefit outlines four “levels of care” Medicare-certified hospice providers must offer:
- Routine home care
- Continuous home care
- General inpatient care
- Respite care
Routine Home Hospice Care (also called Routine In-Home Hospice)
Routine home hospice is the most common level of support and is provided wherever the patient calls home – a private residence, a nursing home, or residential facility. When the patient’s symptoms are manageable at home, regular visits from hospice team members provide comfort care, support, and dignity for the patient and practical support for caregivers. This includes pain management, medical equipment, supplies, and emotional and spiritual support.
Continuous Home Hospice Care
Provided on a temporary basis, continuous home care is offered during a medical crisis to help avoid hospitalization and stabilize the patient. When a patient experiences severe pain or symptoms that require around-the-clock attention, this level of care ensures that a hospice professional is present in the patient’s home for an extended period of time per day, providing intensive symptom management and support.
General Inpatient Hospice Care
Inpatient hospice care is provided when the hospice physician determines a patient needs short-term intense management of pain or symptoms that cannot be feasibly managed in the home environment. When the symptoms are controlled, the patient may return to the place they call home under routine hospice care.
Respite Care
Respite care is provided to hospice patients when their family caregivers need time away from caregiving responsibilities, either to avoid burnout or to attend to other urgent needs. Patients may receive care in a contracted facility or inpatient hospice house or unit for up to five days. For families that need long-term placement versus a temporary respite stay, they may choose to pay out of pocket for room and board in an inpatient facility and receive routine home care.
Routine hospice visits, along with our 24/7 support line to triage new symptoms or changes, help determine what level of care is necessary and available. To learn more about the different levels of hospice care for yourself or a family member, contact a Heart to Heart location near you or refer a loved one to our services.
Read these Questions to Ask When Choosing a Hospice Provider.
