Who Qualifies for Hospice Care?

Hospice care can provide comfort, medical attention and daily-living help in an ideal setting for patients who choose this type of care. Many people seek hospice care when their current disease has a terminal prognosis. However, hospice care can also provide services to individuals who need extra emotional support, or who decide to discontinue treatment in order to stay in a more relaxed environment at home.

Lifetime Illness

• Illnesses where there is no current cure qualifies patients for hospice care. Examples are cancer, heart failure and emphysema.

Low Life Expectancy

• A patient may also qualify for a hospice care if a physician considers life expectancy to be low, usually within 6 months or less.

Discontinued Treatment

• Patients who wish to discontinue treatment and stop any restorative treatment may qualify for hospice care.

Comfort Measures

• Many patients have wonderful turnaround rates when comfort measures are provided along with medical treatment. Patients may qualify for hospice care in order to seek mental and emotional comfort.

Residential Restrictions

• In order to qualify for hospice care, most patients must reside within the regulated residential region of the service area.

Goal Agreement

• A goal must be made between the patient and the hospice care as to what exactly the care will entail. An agreement form must be signed before care can begin.