Continuous Care
Continuous care may be necessary if a crisis develops. Care is provided in the patient’s home, with hospice staff staying for many hours at a time to manage symptoms that are uncontrolled or to provide other more technical care than is considered routine care. This type of around-the-clock care is short-term.
The most difficult and underutilized level of care under the Hospice Benefit, Continuous Care is often referred to as “crisis care." However, the Hospice Benefit describes the hourly services of nurses and aides as Continuous Care. This is a difficult level of care to initiate and few hospices elect to be nimble and willing to provide this service.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services statistics say less than half of 1% of hospice patient days are Continuous Care. Hospice Home Care believes that agencies willing to do the tough services do all services better. Being faithful and willing to do difficult care makes us better at all care.
Services provided by hospice include:
- Physician directed care
- 24-hour, one-on-one care by a Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse and Certified Nursing Assistant
Hospice services are covered by Medicare or Medicaid, private insurance, private pay or through charitable care. This care is provided to all in need of our services regardless of age, sex, race, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, color, national origin, religion, citizenship status, veteran status, illness, handicap, disability or ability to pay.
Hospice does not mean giving up hope! It is possible that a patient will improve, resulting in discharge from hospice services. Or the patient or caregiver might decide to stop hospice care to seek aggressive, curative treatment. Hospice services can easily be resumed, if needed, at a later time.
