| Whether the patient chooses hospice care in the comfort of their own home or at an in-patient facility, we rely on our physicians to help us determine if the patient meets the following criteria for admission:
The patient must have a life-limiting condition with a prognosis of six months or less, either due to a specific diagnosis or a combination of factors. At the end of six months, the patient will be reassessed to determine if hospice is still appropriate considering the progress of the disease.
The patient must be aware of their condition and both the patient and family must agree to hospice care, accepting palliative care over curative treatment.
Other factors that may indicate a need for hospice care include decline/decrease in daily activities (ADL), weight loss or decrease in appetite, decline in cognitive abilities, observable changes in condition, and a lack of responsiveness to treatment or the worsening of symptoms of a chronic illness.
While determining life expectancy is not an exact science, admission to hospice is based on the clinical judgement of the patient's physician and Medicare requires a physician to certify that a patient has a short prognosis in order to qualify for Hospice. Recent legislation states that "a physician's certification of a patient is based upon clinical judgement regarding the normal course of illness."
In order for a patient to qualify for Hospice and receive the benefits from Medicare or private insurance, the attending physician must submit a Physician Referral/Certification Form within 8 days of admission.
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