Why hospice over personal care?
Hospice is a specific type of care. Included in that care is personal care for approximately an hour a day for three to seven days a week, based on the patient's needs. Personal Care will help with a patient's activities of daily living. Under Hospice care, you also receive pain and symptom management and social workers, chaplains, bereavement coordinators, volunteers to help in bringing comfort and peace during this difficult journey. Personal care is not as specialized. Personal care is often provided in addition to hospice services for those patients that need round the clock care.

What if I have more than one person who needs care?
As long as a patient meets the clinical criteria and we have the appropriate doctor's order and legal documents signed, we can care for as many people in one home as needed. At Homestead, we have had several spouses that have had hospice at the same time. This is a benefit to them because they will see our nurses and other team members more often. They will also have the hospice aide in the home for a longer period of time each day.

How many people will be involved in the care of my loved one?
There are several members of the hospice team that are dedicated to caring for our patients. Each patient will have an assigned Nurse, hospice aide, social worker, chaplain, bereavement coordinator and volunteer if needed. Additionally, all care is overseen by the hospice Medical Director, who works in conjunction with the patient's primary care physician to ensure the best treatment plan is implemented for each patient.

How far will you travel?
Hospices are regulated so that team members can get to the patients in a timely manner. The rules states that we must be 60 miles or within 1 hour of our patient's residence.

Under what circumstances will you NOT enter my house?
We make every effort to provide care to all patients that need hospice. However, we must also ensure the safety of our team members. If the environment is unsafe, we will work with the family to place the patient in a safe environment and provide care there.

Does it make a difference if the hospice is a "for profit" or "not for profit" organization?
Non-profit agencies aren't always better than for-profit. There are some really bad non-profit agencies and some really good for-profit. You shouldn't let ownership of an agency be your deciding factor. The focus should be on how the hospice cares for the patients and families they serve. The best way to choose a hospice company is to ask questions based upon your needs and make a determination on which hospice to choose based on those answers.

Will my loved one be admitted even if we have no payment source?
Hospice companies, by law, must accept all patients regardless of their ability to pay. The Homestead Hospice HOPE Foundation helps to cover the cost of professional services, medications, durable medical equipment, and emergency assistance for patients without a payment source.

Will care under hospice be terminated if my loved one is still alive after six months?
Homestead Hospice follows the Medicare Hospice Benefit, which allows re-certification after a six-month period based on the patient continuing to meet hospice eligibility criteria. We will not terminate a patient's care based on time in the hospice program. That decision is made solely based upon whether the patient is clinically appropriate to receive hospice care.