Hospice Comfort Care is for individuals with life-limiting illnesses and their loved ones.  Individuals get the most benefit from Comfort Care when hospice is called early.

Typically, Hospice Care begins in the last six months of life.  Hospice Care provides comfort, pain management, and symptom control.  Hospice Care allows patients to die at home, in a familiar environment, surrounded by their loved ones.  Hospice Care also supports caregivers with challenges of caring for a dying loved one.  When a cure is no longer possible, the emphasis of care changes from hope for a cure, to hope for quality of life, dignity and purpose in the time remaining, and a peaceful, comfortable death at the end.

When patients decide to be cared for by a hospice program, they acknowledge that treatment goals will shift from doing everything possible to cure their condition to helping make the rest of their life as comfortable and high-quality as possible.

• Hospice Care allows the patient to receive end-of-life care in his or her own home or in a familiar environment that is called home.
• Hospice Care surrounds the patient, caregivers and loved ones with a team of professionals offering physical, emotional and spiritual support.
• Hospice Care includes pain control; keeping the patient comfortable and improving the patient’s quality of life for whatever time he or she has left.
• Hospice Care is a Medicare Benefit that includes medications, medical supplies and medical equipment that is at minimum or no cost to the patient and his or her loved ones.
• Hospice Care can be provided at a nursing home, a residential facility or an assisted living center.
• Hospice provides access to a member of the hospice team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Hospice Care may include volunteer support to provide meal preparation, running errands, patient support and caregiver support.
• Hospice Care provides grief support prior to and after death.

Understanding Your Medicare Hospice Benefit

The federal Medicare Hospice Benefit is covered under Medicare Part A.  The Benefit covers virtually all aspects of Hospice Care with very little, if any, out-of-pocket expenses to the patient or family.  Hospice Services of Lake County is fully certified by Medicare.

Medicare, Medi-Cal and most private insurance plans cover the cost of hospice, including medications, medical supplies and equipment that is connected to the patient’s primary diagnosis.  If a patient does not have any insurance coverage, Hospice Services of Lake County will work with the patient to provide Hospice Care.

Medicare covers these hospice services:

• Hospice physician services
• Nursing care
• Medical equipment (including hospital beds, wheelchairs and walkers)
• Medical supplies (including oxygen, bandages or catheters)
• Drugs for managing symptoms and controlling pain
• Home health aide services
• Social worker services
• Spiritual support and counselling
• Dietary counselling
• Grief support for patients and loved ones