My sister placed both my parents on hospice, other siblings put themselves on as contacts. My dad's physicians were not aware nor did they sign of to refer dad to hospice, is this legal?
Yes, it's legal. There comes a time when treatment needs to stop with elders. The indignity of being poked and prodded in useless trips to ERs where there is a 4 hour minimum stay, or worse yet, when they're admitted and come out in worse shape than when they went in, with hospital delirium and more issues than Newsweek. Elders of advanced age should be allowed to live in comfort and ease during their final days, weeks, months or even years of life left on Earth. Causing them trauma in a futile attempt to ward off the inevitable is not a great idea by most people's standards.
In some but not all instances do you need a doctors recommendation for hospice care. Back in July 2018 I took it upon myself to call hospice for an evaluation for my husband without his doctors knowledge and they came out and did an evaluation in which at that time he only qualified for their palliative care, which I wasn't interested in. Ironically he went under hospice care in Nov. 2018 after almost dying from aspiration pneumonia and remained under their care until his death in 2020. If both your parents are now under hospice care it means that they both had to qualify for their care, which apparently they did, so be grateful that they now have extra sets of eyes on them and that they are being taken care of and kept comfortable. So to answer your question, yes someone can be placed under hospice care without physicians consent.
The Hospice doctor after reviewing medical records could confirm that the patient is Hospice eligible. When I stopped in at the Hospice I used for my Husband the admitting nurse made a phone call and that was pretty much it. If your siblings signed a release the Hospice could have obtained the information from the doctors office and not informed your parents doctor that they were going to be placed on Hospice. Simple reason for that is your sister had not yet signed the document that officially admitted them to Hospice.
Is your sister POA for your parents? If so then this would be acceptable. If not and your parents are not competent to sign for themselves then it might be a bit premature. If your sister is not POA (or any of the other siblings) this could be problematic. You, if you wanted to file for Guardianship.
All that said and because it is me replying...and I will say I am VERY pro Hospice. If your parents are eligible for Hospice I think there are many advantages to Hospice. If your parents are home there will be a Nurse that will come each week to check on them. There will be a CNA that will come 2 or 3 times a week to give them a bath or shower. All the medical supplies needed will be delivered to the house. Any medications will be delivered to the house. All the incontinent supplies including gloves, ointments, barrier creams, absorbent pads will be delivered. Any equipment commode, toilet seat risers, wheelchair, hospital beds, Sit-to-stand or Hoyer Lift will all be delivered. And each patient is eligible for about 1 week of Respite each year and your sister can request a Volunteer that can come in and sit with them or do some light housework if that is needed. Other members of the "team" are Social Worker, Chaplain and often there are other Therapies like art, music, pet that you can request. I honestly see no downside to having Hospice come in and provide service.
She also refused to give up her job as thier care giver which means additional help can't come to assist them, hospice was offering 12hours a day to provide nursing assistance, however she said no because that would mean she would have to quit the caregiver that only allows her to work 4 hours per day
My mother is on hospice only because she is getting additional services that we would have had to pay for any other way. We now have another aide so that she now has 11 hours of coverage Monday thru Friday. The nurse comes once a week to check her out.
My mother had a UTI last month, I brought her to her doctor, there was no problem with doing this.
I met with the social worker last week, I had some concerns about hospital stays because we are trying to get my mother admitted to a nursing home. She told me you can drop out any time.
Thus far I view hospice positively. I am glad we have it in place. No complaints from me.
Your sister did not need her parents PCP to agree or order Hospice. All Sis had to do is call a Hospice provider, have your parents evaluated and approved and the Doctor affiliated with the Hospice could sign off.
Even if dad is against it, and he was not aware he was signing himself into hospice care, and he was undergoing curative care.....thank you for your response truly appreciate the guidance
Grandma1954 July 28, 2023 3:30pm Oreohun85, If you made the comment that Hospice was going to provide 12 hours a day of Nursing care that would not have been a service covered by Medicare, Medicaid or other Insurance it would have been something that would have had to come out of pocket as an expense. Hospice will not provide that type of care. It may have been a Home Care Agency affiliated with the Hospice but again that would have been an out of pocket expense.
I didn’t have your situation. I initially inquired about hospice care with my mom’s doctor. Mom started off with palliative care, then progressed into hospice.
Once a person reaches a certain point in their lives, hospice care makes the most sense. People who have progressive and incurable diseases like my mom had (Parkinson’s disease) are not going to improve. The best thing that we can do for them is to keep them comfortable.
The patient and/ or the POA for the pt. have " patient rights" which include the right to choose, to say yes or decline any medical care . PT and or POA have the right to request hospice care. Often some physicians are reluctant to offer or even make the pt and family aware that hospice is a choice; this is often at the detriment to the pt. Patients and families have the right to request and be admitted to hospice care if the hospice evaluation deems the pt. " Hospice appropriate".
The hospice clinical director and hospice medical director physicians work with the PT and or family POA and any other needed physicians and provide directions re communication with any necessary other physicians during the hospice assessment and admit and through out the hospice care.
Back in July 2018 I took it upon myself to call hospice for an evaluation for my husband without his doctors knowledge and they came out and did an evaluation in which at that time he only qualified for their palliative care, which I wasn't interested in.
Ironically he went under hospice care in Nov. 2018 after almost dying from aspiration pneumonia and remained under their care until his death in 2020.
If both your parents are now under hospice care it means that they both had to qualify for their care, which apparently they did, so be grateful that they now have extra sets of eyes on them and that they are being taken care of and kept comfortable.
So to answer your question, yes someone can be placed under hospice care without physicians consent.
When I stopped in at the Hospice I used for my Husband the admitting nurse made a phone call and that was pretty much it.
If your siblings signed a release the Hospice could have obtained the information from the doctors office and not informed your parents doctor that they were going to be placed on Hospice. Simple reason for that is your sister had not yet signed the document that officially admitted them to Hospice.
Is your sister POA for your parents? If so then this would be acceptable.
If not and your parents are not competent to sign for themselves then it might be a bit premature.
If your sister is not POA (or any of the other siblings) this could be problematic. You, if you wanted to file for Guardianship.
All that said and because it is me replying...and I will say I am VERY pro Hospice.
If your parents are eligible for Hospice I think there are many advantages to Hospice.
If your parents are home there will be a Nurse that will come each week to check on them. There will be a CNA that will come 2 or 3 times a week to give them a bath or shower. All the medical supplies needed will be delivered to the house. Any medications will be delivered to the house. All the incontinent supplies including gloves, ointments, barrier creams, absorbent pads will be delivered. Any equipment commode, toilet seat risers, wheelchair, hospital beds, Sit-to-stand or Hoyer Lift will all be delivered. And each patient is eligible for about 1 week of Respite each year and your sister can request a Volunteer that can come in and sit with them or do some light housework if that is needed. Other members of the "team" are Social Worker, Chaplain and often there are other Therapies like art, music, pet that you can request.
I honestly see no downside to having Hospice come in and provide service.
My mother had a UTI last month, I brought her to her doctor, there was no problem with doing this.
I met with the social worker last week, I had some concerns about hospital stays because we are trying to get my mother admitted to a nursing home. She told me you can drop out any time.
Thus far I view hospice positively. I am glad we have it in place. No complaints from me.
Oreohun85,
If you made the comment that Hospice was going to provide 12 hours a day of Nursing care that would not have been a service covered by Medicare, Medicaid or other Insurance it would have been something that would have had to come out of pocket as an expense.
Hospice will not provide that type of care.
It may have been a Home Care Agency affiliated with the Hospice but again that would have been an out of pocket expense.
Once a person reaches a certain point in their lives, hospice care makes the most sense. People who have progressive and incurable diseases like my mom had (Parkinson’s disease) are not going to improve. The best thing that we can do for them is to keep them comfortable.
The hospice clinical director and hospice medical director physicians work with the PT and or family POA and any other needed physicians and provide directions re communication with any necessary other physicians during the hospice assessment and admit and through out the hospice care.
My mom was put on hospice quite a few times for 3 years before she passed. I’m pretty sure it was the home health care team that ordered it for her
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