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MISSION
Hospice of Eastern
Idaho, Inc. is committed to improving the lives of the
terminally ill and their families through a comprehensive program of
medical care, counseling, spiritual support, volunteers, bereavement
programs and physician and community education. We
currently serve a five county area in southeastern Idaho, consisting
of Bonneville, Bingham, Fremont, Jefferson, and Madison
counties. We provide care to any person who has been medically
certified as appropriate for hospice care, without regard to race,
gender, creed, or the ability to pay for the care.
WHAT IS HOSPICE CARE
?
Hospice is a
totally voluntary comfort care program for the terminally ill person
and their family. It provides full spectrum pain and symptom
management related to the terminal illness, personal hygiene care
for the patient, and respite, bereavement, spiritual and social
services for the patient and all family members
and a fully trained complement of volunteers to provide short
respites for caregivers, companionship for the patients
or other non-medical support as necessary.
Who is eligible
for Hospice Care?
Any person whose attending physician
or, if you do not have an attending physician, the hospice
Medical Director, will certify that if the disease they have runs
its normal course, it will result in a terminal outcome within six
months. Although the initial period of eligibility is six
months, the patient can be recertified by their
attending physician or the hospice Medical Director for ongoing
periods of eligibility in 60-day increments after the initial
180 days, so long as the patient meets the medical criteria.
Should the patient improve, thereby no longer being eligible for
hospice care, the benefit can be resumed at any time the patient
again becomes medically eligible for hospice care, even though the
initial period may have been greater than 6 months. Hospice can be
utilized by people with diseases other than cancer, such as
Alzheimer's, cardiovascular, kidney or liver failure, and other
diseases.
When should we call
hospice?
Hospice care is most effective in
pain control and family support services when it is utilized over a
period of several months. We therefore recommend that at the
point that further medical intervention will not prolong the
patient's life, hospice should be contacted so that we may
explain the program and its benefits to the patient and
family.
One of the greatest barriers to
hospice is the inability of the patient and their physician to
discuss the need for hospice. Studies have found that prior to
experiencing hospice, even when it is obvious that further curative
measures will be futile, most people view hospice as "giving
up", when in reality it is simply utilizing the last months of
one's life to the fullest. (Studies have found that in some
instances it is possible that patients may have lived longer with
hospice than they would have in a traditional hospital
setting. While it is not known whether this is a response to
better pain control, or if it is simply that the patient remains
more actively involved in day to day living in a home or home-like
setting, it is a phenomenon seen often by hospice personnel.)
We encourage any one with a terminal illness to
bring up the subject of hospice with their physician, or to call us
for further information.
Who pays for Hospice,
and Where Can I Get the Services?
Most hospice patients are covered
under the Medicare Hospice benefit, due to their age. However
anyone, of any age can receive care from Hospice of Eastern
Idaho. Payment may be made by Idaho Medicaid,
private insurance, or private pay. AND because we are a
non-profit, there are no charges to the patient if they are
unable to pay for hospice care, and no one is turned away because of
inability to pay. Patients do not have to be totally indigent, just
lack the abililty to pay for hospice care. We appreciate it
when anyone who does have resources to pay for their care
contributes as they can. Patients residing in a skilled
nursing facility or assisted living facility can receive
hospice care but may still be responsible to the facility for
room and board. Medicaid recipients remain eligible to have
Medicaid pay for the room and board charges, less any patient
liability amount.
Hospice is a concept, not a
place. You may receive hospice services in your
home, a relatives home, in a skilled nursing facility, an
assisted living facility, or wherever you call home, so long as
there is someone available to act as your caregiver on a 24/7
basis. (NOTE: patients residing in a Skilled
Nursing facility for short term rehabilitative services
(commonly referred to as "the 100 days" benefit) under Medicare Part
A cannot receive both benefits at the same time. Customarily,
a patient will use the 100 day nursing home benefit, and then avail
themselves of hospice services, or if financially able, will forego
the 100 days benefit, pay the facility room and board themselves,
and enter hospice care. If you do not have a caregiver,
we can try to help you find a alternative caregiving situation.
Hospice of Eastern Idaho accepts
memorial and other donations to help pay for the care we provide to
persons who are unable to pay. The caring members of our
community participate with us in assuring no one is turned away for
financial reasons.
What if I move to
another city or state?
If there is a hospice in the area you
are moving to, we can transfer your records to the new hospice if
you let us know ahead of time that you are moving. There is no
loss of benefit periods or need to start a whole new claim,
providing you sign up with the new hospice within 2 days of leaving
our care.
Does Hospice "go away"
as soon as the patient passes away?
No. Hospice provides for
bereavement counseling for the family for up to 13 months after the
patient is no longer with us. The Federal
guideline is 12 months, but we try to provide that "little bit
extra" when needed.
Is Hospice the same
thing as Home Health?
No. Home Health cannot provide
Medicare covered hospice
services if the patient is homebound, requires
specialized equipment, such as beds, oxygen, commodes, etc., drugs
for pain and symptom control, inpatient care for family respite,
after death bereavement counseling, mandatory volunteer
availability, or hospice continuity of care. While many of the
services that hospice offers, such as bathing, light housekeeping
and the like are similar to home health, the need for 24-hour
availability of RN care differentiates hospice from home health in
large part.
Can Hospice Help with
Living Wills and Advanced Directives?
Yes. The National Hospice and
Palliative Care Organization has partnered with WebMD to
make state specific forms available on the WebMD website. You
can also access this information at www.caringinfo.org, or call
800/658-8898. In addition most hospices have these forms
available at their offices. Hospice of Eastern Idaho utilizes
the Five Wishes form, which is a combination of both the advance
directives and a living will, and the new Idaho Living Will and
Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare, which does not have to be
notarized or witnessed to be legally recognized. It is not necessary
to be a hospice patient to receive these materials.
Hospice of Eastern
Idaho's Caregiver Resource Center
Please check out the caregiver
resource page. This unique resource is only offered
by Hospice of Eastern Idaho.
Call
Hospice of Eastern Idaho
at (208) 529-0342
today!
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