Hospice is a team approach to patient care that focuses on quality of life. Rather than seeking a cure, hospice care focuses on the patient’s comfort, offering support that addresses the patient’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. Hospice also provides practical support to caregivers during the patient’s illness and grief support. Hospice is not a place, rather a philosophy of care. Most hospice services are in the patient’s home, whether that is a nursing home, assisted living facility, or an in-home setting. At the center of hospice and palliative care is the belief that each of us has the right to be pain-free, maintain dignity, and that our families receive the necessary support to allow us to do so.

Hospice care includes registered nurses who act as the liaison between the patient and hospice medical director, certified nursing aide to help with personal care, and medical equipment and medicines related to the patient’s hospice diagnosis. It also includes the option of receiving chaplain, social worker, and volunteer services. Plans of care for hospice patients are overseen by the hospice medical director. Hospice patients are also eligible to receive respite care and access to a hospice inpatient unit for symptom control and management.

Hospice care is covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicaid, and private plans. In 1983, Congress established the Medicare Hospice Benefit Act allowing Medicare and Medicaid to pay for hospice services.

If a patient has a life-limiting illness and wishes to not seek aggressive curative care, then it may be time to seek hospice care. Although family members can initiate hospice services, the patient must have a doctor’s order, stating they are appropriate for hospice care. It must be approved by our medical director. It is never too early to seek hospice care. Contact us.

Although anyone can call Brightmoor Hospice and ask about a loved one admitted onto hospice services, the patient’s doctor must make a referral for hospice care. Once the referral is received by our admission staff, the caregiver will be contacted to schedule a time to further discuss services. Our admission nurse will determine if the patient is ready for hospice by performing an evaluation for admission. The admission nurse will also discuss your loved one’s specific needs to develop an individualized plan of care.

Our qualified and empathetic admission staff is here to guide you through our hospice admission process. Contact us for information.