Facts on Hospices


 

When you have a loved one who is in end-of-life care, there are a few ways that hospice can help. There are hospice care facilities where your loved one can stay and be taken care of. But many people wonder- can you get palliative care at home? Can you have hospice at home? The answer is yes. There are many hospice companies that work with people who are staying in their own homes during this period. The hospice personnel visits the home a few times a week as needed to help care for the patient.

Can you leave hospice care? Yes, it is a voluntary type of care, so it can be left if necessary. However, the whole point of hospice care is to make sure that the patient is comfortable and doing as well as possible, so it doesn’t make much sense to leave the program. If you want to leave home hospice care to go into a comfort care clinic, this may be a good choice for your loved one. Whatever they want to do doing their end-of-life care, respect their decisions and try to arrange the kind of care they want and need during this stage of life.

There are plenty of people in the United States who are clueless about what type of services that hospices can provide. However, most people would be much more intrigued by these facilities upon learning their functions and services. Thus, here are all of the important facts that surround hospices in Tucson and other areas.

Hospice typically starts after a formal referral has been made. A hospice representative will then visit the patient within 48 hours of that referral. A referral means that one person must suggest a patient stays at this hospice before they are accepted or allowed in.

As of April 2017, there were almost 58 million people enrolled in Medicare. Approximately 15% of adults over the age of 60 suffer from mental health disorders. These people need help as time goes on because of what is happening to society. Technology is allowing people to live longer but as a result, they may develop some mental problems like dementia. Here are more facts on hospices and their services.

Hospices Have Plenty of History Behind Them

Senators Frank Church and Frank E. Moss introduced the first hospice legislation to provide funding for these programs in 1974. Since the year of 1974, these types of facilities have grown in popularity and utilization. However, without this important history, they would not be in the position they are now. So hospices owe everything to Frank Church and Frank E. Moss.

The history of hospice dates back to the 11th century when a religious order of monk set up hospitals along a pilgrimage road leading to Jerusalem. This means that there is even more history behind these facilities that are known as hospices. Thus, there is no reason that people should not be able to trust the services that they now provide.

Hospices Are Rising In Utilization

Hospice care from hospices can seriously help people that are in need of daily care. That is one of the important services that these facilities can provide people with. A holistic hospice is going to provide some more unorthodox types of treatment and thus, you should try to find yourself a reliable facility that matches your thoughts and beliefs.

An estimated 20% of the United States population will be over 65 by 2030. The number of hospice patients grew from 513,000 in 2000 to nearly 1.4 million in 2015. Thus, it is quite simple to understand that these facilities are becoming more trusted by the general public and that is why the number of patients is steadily rising.

The most recent data from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, also known as the NHPCO, states that only 5.4% of hospice patients in 2015 were under the age of 65. These are the types of people who probably cannot take care of themselves on a daily basis and that is why they are in the hospice, to begin with. This is important because these facilities can provide them with helpful services that give them access to a normal life.

Hospice staff members are on call 24 hours a day and seven days a week. That way, they can be there for people who need their help every single day. These types of staff members are willing to sacrifice the glory and money so that they can work a job where they help make a difference!

In Conclusion Approximately 1,381,182 Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in Hospice for 24 hours or more in 2015. These hospices are growing in utilization and are becoming more respected amongst patients. Thus, you should take time to check out these kinds of facilities if you know someone that needs to be taken care of.