Myth:

Hospice takes all medications away and immediately start morphine.

Fact:

Hospice may suggest medications that “can” be discontinued that do not have a positive effect in the short term or that may be difficult to swallow with minimal benefit.

We will never sign a patient onto service and discontinue all of their medications, we will never discontinue medications that are needed for the patients health and well being.

However each patients medication regimen is specifically catered to the individual and if a patient wants to continue any specific medications they absolutely have the right to do so, even while on hospice services.

Our hospice will never start any kind of narcotic or controlled substance such as morphine without an indicated need, such as pain that is not easily controlled by lesser measures.

Myth:

When you sign on to hospice services, they make you die faster.

Fact:

Unfortunately we cannot speak on behalf of all hospice providers, we have all heard stories of hospice care that has scarred us and impaired our vision of what hospice is supposed to be. However we can speak for our hospice and what we stand for, our hospice and our staff take pride in promoting quality of life and that includes functionality and longevity.

Some of our patients, although rare actually improve with our service and become better, to the point that they no longer qualify for hospice services.

Myth:

If you have a terminal diagnosis of heart failure and you have a secondary diagnosis of renal failure and want to have hospice services and continue dialysis regularly as you have always done, you cannot. You must discontinue dialysis because it is an aggressive intervention and not covered by hospice.

Fact:

As long as the kidney failure is not related to the heart failure you absolutely can continue your dialysis. When looking at multiple diagnosis in a single individual you are using hospice for that specific terminal diagnosis and anything that is not related is not covered by hospice services, however, would still be covered by your primary insurance as it always has been.

Myth:

When a patient is on hospice services their physical therapy benefit is limited to a specific frequency and duration due to hospice enrollment. Such as on hospice the patient can only be seen once per week for three weeks.

Fact:

Physical therapy is a required offered benefit for hospice services, it is not ethical to limit the treatment based on the patient’s hospice enrollment. Treatment for the patient is based on a physical therapist professional evaluation and recommendation based on the patients specific individualized needs and abilities. Care Plans / Treatment Plans should be followed based on the Physical Therapist professional’s evaluation and order, not what the hospice deems the limitation to be.

Myth:

If you are on Medicaid residing at a facility you cannot have hospice services, if you sign onto hospice services your Medicaid will not pay your room and board at the facility.

Fact:

Medicaid will still pay for the room and board at the facility if you previously qualified for the benefit, the only difference is that the Medicaid billing will now be sent to the hospice, hospice will bill to Medicaid and be the one that provides the reimbursement for room and board to the facility instead of Medicaid giving the payment directly to the facility.

Myth:

Patient has an implanted pain pump from a diagnosis of chronic pain syndrome over 15 years ago. The patient recently has been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer a year ago and is ready for hospice. The hospice will be responsible for any cost associated with the implanted pain pump because that medication is related to symptom management.

Fact:The pain pump was required for a diagnosis long before the terminal diagnosis was diagnosed and therefore is not related to the terminal diagnosis and will continue to be covered as it was previous to the patient’s hospice admission by their primary insurance.

Myth:

Starting Morphine will kill people faster and hospice shortens a person’s life

Fact:

Morphine is one of the oldest most stable medications known to western medicine. 5m of oral morphine is only the equivalent of about 1 – 5/325 Norco tablet. When utilized appropriately morphine can improve oxygenation in the body and lengthen a person’s life expectancy with some specific diagnoses. Statistically people on hospice live 7 days longer than people with the same diagnosis without hospice services because hospice staff and visiting nurses are regularly checking on the patients and “fine tuning” their care.

Myth:

You can only be enrolled in hospice if your physician refers you to hospice.

Fact:

Anyone can refer to hospice services. This includes the individual patient themselves. If you or your loved one feel you can benefit from hospice services give us a call and we can guide you from there, starting with an informational meeting.

Myth:

You have to be in a facility or in the hospital for hospice care and you have to use the hospice provider the facility refers to only.

Fact:

Hospice can be provided wherever the patient is currently residing. Hospice staff can care for patients in their homes, group homes, facilities, hospitals and any other setting where the patient may be staying. Regardless of any facilities preferred hospice provider including hospitals, the patient has the right to CHOOSE any hospice provider they feel is the best fit to care for them. Again, this is regardless of the facilities recommendation.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS!