Does hospice speed up the dying process?
- NO! In fact, the average lifetime length of stay among hospice patients is 95.3 days!
Where is hospice provided? Where does New England Hospice travel?
- New England Hospice travels to YOU! We provide care throughout the state of Massachusetts. Hospice is provided wherever the patient lives: their personal home, skilled nursing facility, assisted living, and/or hospital.
Who pays for New England Hospice services?
- Hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans, VA benefits, Medicaid, and many private insurance plans. This coverage provides significant financial relief for patients and families, as hospice benefits typically include medications, home medical equipment, and supplies related to the life-limiting illness.
- In most cases, these services come with little to no out-of-pocket costs.
- Note: Hospice does not pay for your room and board. However this is being paid for will usually continue the same way.
- We will never turn anyone away for an inability to pay.
- In most cases, these services come with little to no out-of-pocket costs.
Who provides care for New England Hospice?
- An interdisciplinary team provides care to our patients!
- The patient's primary physician
- Hospice physician
- Hospice nurse
- Hospice aide
- Hospice social worker
- Hospice chaplain
- If we have availability in your area your team may also include a hospice companion, hospice volunteer, hospice reiki therapist, hospice therapy dog and other supportive team members.
Is New England Hospice at bedside 24/7?
- New England Hospice is always available for you to reach out to 24/7 but NOT at bedside 24/7. Every hospice patient should have a primary caregiver (this can be a family member, friend, private aide, OR the facility staff) who will give the care 24/7. The goal of hospice is to provide you with education on HOW to care for the patient and provide you you with the emotional support needed throughout this process.
Is New England Hospice AVAILABLE 24/7?
- YES! We are always available. We have on-call nurses available overnight, on the weekends and during holidays. Call the main number 781-749-2900.
Who can ask for a New England Hospice referral?
- Anyone connected to the patient can make a hospice referral.
- Once the referral is received, our New England Hospice liaison or nurse will ask you questions, such as who the patient's primary care physician is and any other important information. The liaison or hospice nurse need to contact the patient’s primary physician to confirm they meet the criteria for hospice care. The patient or patient's Health Care Proxy or Guardian will be contacted to sign onto hospice care.
How am I supposed to know if someone needs hospice? What are some signs?
- ASK NEW ENGLAND HOSPICE! You can ask the person's primary physician or nurse at the facility they reside for a hospice referral.
- Signs YOU can look for:
- Increased hospitalizations OR Doctors visits
- Weight loss (unintentional)
- Lack of interest in food/Lack of appetite
- Increased sleep/lethargy/fatigue
- Multiple infections (urinary tract infections, sepsis or pneumonia)
- Increased Confusion
- Talking/Engaging less
- Caregiver feeling overwhelmed
You keep saying "terminal diagnosis" and "severe chronic illness" what are some of the diseases or diagnoses are you referring to?
- Some of the diseases we are referring to are:
- Alzheimer's disease (and other dementia)
- Parkinson's disease
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Cancer
- Kidney Failure (End stage renal disease)
- Liver Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Stroke
- ALS
- Huntington's disease
- AIDS
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Is there a document I can look at to see if I (or someone else) would potentially qualify for New England Hospice?
- YES! Check this out:
I am feeling overwhelmed as a caregiver. Can New England Hospice help me?
- Feeling overwhelmed as a caregiver MAY be a sign that the person you are caring for will qualify for hospice. Reach out to New England Hospice and we can help guide you in the right direction!
- Some signs in your person that might be making you feel overwhelmed:
- Falling more
- More confusion
- Safety is becoming more of a concern
- More doctor visits
- Increased infections
- Changes in engagement and daily activities
- Some signs in your person that might be making you feel overwhelmed:
I am my loved one's health care proxy and live far away. Can I still sign them onto New England Hospice?
- YES! We have the ability to have you sign your paperwork over DocuSign! We need to have a conversation with you over the phone and once you provide your email address, we can send you the digital paperwork.
I want to meet the New England Hospice team and ask questions before I sign onto hospice. Can this happen?
- YES! This is what New England Hospice prefers to do because we want you to meet the whole team together. We are always open to providing an informational session! Our goal is to make sure you feel educated, comfortable and confident in your choice of signing onto New England Hospice.
What if I change my mind? Either I don't want New England Hospice services OR I want to seek curative treatment?
- OF COURSE you can change your mind! You can decide to revoke hospice services at any time. We are here to guide you throughout the process if this is what you choose to do.
I don't know what to expect regarding the dying process. Is this okay?
- You are not alone - that is what New England Hospice is here for! We will provide you with education and emotional support along the way! We have resources and our team members are very experienced in their fields and welcome questions.
Did we miss your question?
- FILL OUT THE CONTACT FORM OR CALL US! WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! 781-749-2900
Additional Resources...
- Included with our care, New England Hospice works to educate our patients and their family members of how to properly prevent the spread of infection.
- Below are two useful guidelines to follow in order to ensure you will not make other people sick by spreading germs.
|
|