Hospice Criteria for Eligibility
When you or a loved one are faced with a life-limiting illness, a life expectancy of 6 months or less, Angels Grace Hospice & Palliative Care is available to answer your questions about hospice criteria. Every patient is required to qualify and meet the admission criteria. AGH can help to answer your questions if you are wondering about eligibility requirements for hospice patients.
Too many people put off learning more about end-of-life care (ELoC) and miss receiving the added support, comfort and care provided with hospice services. Because this type of care is focused on living comfortably, pain and other symptoms are managed or relieved, patients actually live longer than those that do not receive end-of-life care.
Hospice Care Requirements: Symptoms and Diagnoses
Hospice criteria for admission requires an order from a physician for an evaluation by a team of physicians and nurses specialized in comfort care. . The evaluation for admission can take place at a hospital, the patient’s home, any assisted living facility or nursing home. A combination of symptoms and diagnoses may qualify eligibility.
Some symptoms that would prompt an evaluation for services include:
- Ascites
- Decline in mental status
- Decrease in appetite
- Diminished functional status
- Dysphagia
- Increasing dyspnea
- Increased drowsiness, fatigue, weakness
- Multiple hospitalizations/frequent ER visits
- Oxygen dependency
- Pain that is increasingly difficult to control
- Progressive decline despite medical therapies
- Progressive weight loss
- Recurrent infections
- Uncontrolled nausea/vomiting
Some diagnoses that may quality for hospice eligibility:
- ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
- CVA (Cerebrovascular Disease)/Stroke
- End Stage Renal Disease
- End Stage Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia
- End Stage Heart Disease
- End Stage HIV Infection/AIDS
- End Stage Liver Disease
- End Stage Pulmonary Disease
- Malignancies (all forms of cancer, leukemia)
- Malnutrition
- Multisystem Failure/Debilitating Chronic Conditions
- Parkinson’s Disease
One of these symptoms or diagnoses, a combination or any other life-limiting illness may be considered for admission. It is appropriate to discuss a patient’s care and options, including hospice, at any time during a terminal illness to ensure their wishes and decisions are met.
The decision ultimately belongs to the patient, although comfort care supports the entire family. A common theme for all patients is that they want to be heard and have their caregivers really listen. Our staff is dedicated to listening to patients and families and supporting all wishes and decisions.
How to Get Started
Our staff is always here to answer your questions and help you understand how to receive the help and comforting support available to patients. The patient’s physician must evaluate hospice criteria and request an evaluation for hospice admission. We provide the necessary evaluation by a physician and a qualified Registered Nurse (RN) with training in hospice and palliative care.
Our staff includes highly trained Medical Directors, Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurses (CHPN), Registered nurses (RNs), Nurse Practitioners (NP), and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) dedicated to make a difference. We also provide services from social workers, case managers, chaplains and volunteers.
All services are coordinated with the patient’s own physician and the medical director at Angels Grace Hospice & Palliative Care. We always meet with the family to educate and explain our services while providing comforting support.
We help patients live their last days to the fullest, providing a host of skilled compassion care services including expert medical care and companionship. We listen to the patient and their families to provide comforting care with dignity and respect. Contact us to learn more about eligibility requirements based on hospice criteria.