We are signed up for hospice care at home but we can't continue to take care of spouse as they are declining at a rapid rate. Hospice is refusing to place him in the hospice facility. Their answers are vague at best. Why do you think this is?
Most In Patient Hospice Units are for brief stays for symptom management, pain management or, if there is room Respite. If your loved one is on Hospice now ask for Respite. But for long term, full time help if that can not be done by you or safely at home placement in an appropriate facility. That would be Memory Care, Skilled Nursing or Assisted Living. The Hospice social worker can help with placement. If you can not care for spouse hiring caregivers is an option if placing them is not possible. IF your Hospice would take your loved one the cost to you would be probably as much as the cost of hired caregivers. While Hospice is covered by insurance, Medicare, Medicaid the cost of in patient care, the room, equipment and nursing staff would have to be private pay.
Are you saying Hospice is refusing this patient because it is not clear that death is expected within 6 months. Or are you saying this patient would be accepted for in home hospice, but not for in facility. Quite honestly, you are in contact with them and they are the ones familiar with your case, the ones who will know best what the case is and the reasons in your own particular case. Good luck.
Typically a person can be transferred to a hospice facility if hospice believes the person will be dying within the week. That is covered 100% under a persons Medicare. Most hospice facilities also have extra rooms that a family can pay out of pocket if they want their loved one to stay there longer. That is expensive and again has to be paid out of pocket either by the patient or the patients family. I'm not sure what the hospice agency is telling you, but you can always seek out another hospice agency in your area, and see if you have any better luck. Your loved one deserves the very best care at their end of life, and if they're not getting it, time for a change. Call and ask to speak to whoever is in charge at the hospice agency and see if you can't get some better answers. Best wishes.
If your loved one is on Hospice now ask for Respite. But for long term, full time help if that can not be done by you or safely at home placement in an appropriate facility. That would be Memory Care, Skilled Nursing or Assisted Living. The Hospice social worker can help with placement.
If you can not care for spouse hiring caregivers is an option if placing them is not possible.
IF your Hospice would take your loved one the cost to you would be probably as much as the cost of hired caregivers. While Hospice is covered by insurance, Medicare, Medicaid the cost of in patient care, the room, equipment and nursing staff would have to be private pay.
Most hospice facilities also have extra rooms that a family can pay out of pocket if they want their loved one to stay there longer. That is expensive and again has to be paid out of pocket either by the patient or the patients family.
I'm not sure what the hospice agency is telling you, but you can always seek out another hospice agency in your area, and see if you have any better luck. Your loved one deserves the very best care at their end of life, and if they're not getting it, time for a change.
Call and ask to speak to whoever is in charge at the hospice agency and see if you can't get some better answers. Best wishes.