| Enrolling in hospice means you are giving up. | By enrolling in hospice services, you are choosing to focus on quality of life through patient centered care. People enrolled in hospice live, on average, 29 days longer than those who are not enrolled. |
| If I enroll in hospice, I will no longer be able to see my primary doctor. | When enrolled in hospice, your primary care doctor, the hospice team, and you will collaborate to create a care plan that meets goals. Your primary doctor and the hospice team will communicate on a regular basis to ensure these goals are being met. |
| To get hospice care, I will have to leave my home and go to an inpatient facility. | Hospice is not a place; it is a concept of care. Hospice usually takes place in the comfort of your own home but can be provided many settings including skilled nursing homes, residential care, and assisted living facilities. |
| Hospice is only for individuals who have a with Cancer diagnosis. | Hospice serves people of any age dealing with serious illnesses with a prognosis of six months or less. This can include heart, lung, kidney, dementia and neuro muscular diseases. |
| Hospice “drugs people up” so they become addicted to medication or sleep all the time. | When patients have a legitimate need for pain medication, they do not become addicted to it. Hospice has unmatched expertise in managing pain, so patients are comfortable yet alert, and able to enjoy each day to the fullest extent possible given the circumstances of their medical condition. |
| Hospice patients can’t have feeding tubes or IV hydration. | Each patient is evaluated on a case-by-case basis and receives the treatments necessary to provide support and comfort for the goals of care. |
| Hospice patients must have a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) status. | Hospice patients do not have to have a DNR in place to be admitted to hospice care. |
| If it is time for hospice my doctor will talk to me about it. | Many doctors wait for a patient to bring up hospice, leading to a late enrollment. Often families and patients wish they would have known about hospice sooner. Anyone can inquire about hospice care. |
| Hospice care is expensive, and my family will not be able to afford it. | Hospice is covered by Medicare and Medicaid almost 100%. Many commercial plans now have a hospice benefit with little to no out-of-pocket expenses t the patient or the family. |
| Hospice is only when you have a few days to live. | Hospice care can be provided when a cure is no longer possible or desired, and it is believed the patient has 6 months or less to live. |
| Hospice provides nursing care in the home 24 hours a day. | The hospice team makes regular visits to the patient wherever the patient resides, whether in the home or care facility. The hospice care team visits when needed and is available by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. |
