Choosing Hospice.
Hospice is not a facility or location, but a service to ensure that individuals with a life-limiting illness will live with their symptoms under control, in comfort and dignity, surrounded by their loved ones.
The hospice philosophy recognizes a patient’s right to a pain-free existence while remaining as alert as possible during the final stage of any life-limiting illness.
Our Hospice of Natchitoches Team creates individualized care plans to provide emotional, spiritual and clinical support by trained personnel based on the wishes and needs of each patient and family unit.
Covered under Medicare, Medicaid, VA, and Private Insurances, hospice care is provided primarily in the patient’s place of residence, whether in the family home, nursing facility or assisted living environment. Hospice of Natchitoches accepts anyone regardless of age, sex, religion or ethnicity. For more information, please review the topics below or contact us.
Evaluating Hospice.
These are questions we receive frequently, which might help you better evaluate both your need for hospice care and your hospice care provider.
+ What is hospice care?
- Hospice is a philosophy of care. It treats the person rather than the disease and focuses on quality of life. It surrounds the patient and family with a team consisting of professionals who not only address physical distress, but emotional and spiritual issues as well. Hospice care is patient-centered because the needs of the patient and family drive the activities of the hospice care team.
+ Can I expect regular in-person visits from the hospice chaplain?
- The staff of Hospice of Natchitoches includes a Minister. He visits as often as the patient and/or family requests.
+ Can the hospice program still manage my care or that of my family member if I need to go to the hospital?
- Hospice of Natchitoches partners with several hospitals throughout the area in managing the inpatient hospice units in those facilities. Under hospice care, the patient may be hospitalized to control symptoms or to provide respite care for the family if necessary.
+ Do I have to give up my regular physician if I choose hospice care?
- Although Hospice of Natchitoches maintains a staff of physicians, a hospice patient is not required to change doctors. Any Louisiana licensed physician can be the primary physician if he or she wishes to continue caring for the hospice patient.
+ Does the hospice have an on-going program to monitor the quality of care provided to its patients?
- Hospice of Natchitoches has in place several measures of quality care. One example of such measure is the Family Satisfaction Survey, sent to the primary care giver approximately one month after the patient’s death. That survey helps us determine -- among other factors -- our rate of success in managing the patient’s pain and discomforting symptoms, educating the family members in the care of their patient, and preparing the family emotionally for the death of their loved one. Another measure is a survey completed by family members in the bereavement program. That survey helps us determine how well we have helped family members cope with their loss after the patient's death.
+ Does the hospice program provide a volunteer to visit patients or assist the family with errands?
- The volunteers of Hospice of Natchitoches share with us a belief in the right of each person to spend one's final days in peace and comfort and to die with dignity at home. They are trained and specially selected for duty in the areas of direct patient care, pastoral care, and bereavement care. They provide an extra measure of support to the patient and family.
+ How experienced are the nurses in providing hospice care?
- Hospice of Natchitoches employs registered nurses; who are certified in hospice and palliative nursing. Many have 10 or more years of experience in hospice care.
+ Is the hospice a locally based program or part of some larger organization?
- Hospice of Natchitoches. was established in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and maintains its administrative office here. While other hospice programs may have a regional office in Natchitoches or a nearby city, many of them have corporate headquarters out of state sending employees from areas such as Shreveport, LA or Alexandria, LA.
+ What help can I expect in relation to resources outside of the hospice program?
- Hospice of Natchitoches features Licensed Clinical Social Workers. In addition to helping patients and family members cope with the emotional challenges involved in facing the end of life for themselves or someone they love, the hospice social workers are skilled in identifying and connecting patients and their families with services of other community organizations. For example, they can help with wills and estate planning, funeral arrangements, financial assistance for medications, meals for homebound senior citizens and arrange for sitters.
+ What is the hospice program’s general reputation in the community?
- Since its founding in 2000, Hospice of Natchitoches has been fortunate to receive tremendous support from the communities it serves in the form of financial contributions, volunteer time, and general good will. Physicians in Natchitoches and Sabine Parish have chosen Hospice of Natchitoches as their preferred hospice of choice.
+ Will care under hospice be terminated if my patient or I am still alive after six months?
- Hospice of Natchitoches follows the Medicare Hospice Benefit guidelines which allows re-certification after a six-month period based on the patient continuing to meet hospice eligibility criteria.
+ Will my patient or I be admitted even if we have no payment source?
- Hospice of Natchitoches currently holds the distinction of being one of very few hospice organizations in Louisiana that accepts most patients regardless of their ability to pay. With the help of the Hospice of Natchitoches Foundation, Hospice of Natchitoches covers the cost of professional services, medications, durable medical equipment, and emergency assistance for patients without a payment source.
+ Will the hospice program force the patient to stop current medications or other treatments?
- Hospice of Natchitoches assesses patients individually and makes recommendations to ensure medications are affective. Hospice of Natchitoches has an extensive list of approved medications in accordance with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
+ Will the hospice staff be available if a need arises at night or on the weekend?
- Hospice of Natchitoches has professional staff regularly scheduled to respond to calls from patients or family members and to make visits at night and on weekends. In addition, physicians are available to the professional staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Hospice Benefits.
Patients who choose hospice care receive a full scope of non-curative medical and support services for their terminal illness. Hospices provides for:
Physician services
Nursing care
Medical appliances and supplies
Drugs for symptom management and pain relief
Short-term inpatient and respite care
Home health aide services
Counseling
Social work service
Spiritual care
Volunteer participation
Bereavement services
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech/language pathology services
+ Myth #1: You lose your Medicare benefits when you accept hospice care.
- Truth: One never loses his or her Medicare benefits. The hospice Medicare benefit is another form of Medicare coverage, and all services required for management of the terminal illness are provided by Hospice of Natchitoches.
+ Myth #2: A patient must be actively dying to receive hospice care.
- Truth: A patient may be admitted to Hospice of Natchitoches at any time during the last six months of life. It is best when the patient is referred before death is imminent or there is a crisis situation. It is preferable to refer a patient early so that the hospice team can have time to adequately prepare the patient and family for the impending death and so that Hospice of Natchitoches can do all it can to enhance the quality of the patient's life.
+ Myth #3: Once you accept hospice care, you can never be hospitalized. You must remain at home no matter what.
- Truth: Under hospice care, the patient may be hospitalized to control symptoms or to provide respite care for the family if necessary. Arrangements for hospitalization must be made by Hospice of Natchitoches.
+ Myth #4: Once you get into hospice, you can't get out of it.
- Truth: Hospice patients can withdraw from the program if they later choose to do so.
+ Myth #5: Hospice care is only for the elderly.
- Truth: While the majority (70-75%) of hospice patients are over the age of 65, hospice care is for all ages.
+ Myth #6: When you enter the hospice program, you have to give up your regular doctor.
- Truth: A hospice patient is not required to change physicians. Any Louisiana licensed physician can be the primary physician if he or she is willing to work with the Hospice of Natchitoches team.
+ Myth #7: When you are under hospice care, you cannot have an I.V. or feeding tube.
- Truth: A patient is not denied an I.V. or feeding tube. All services are directed toward symptom control and pain management.
+ Myth #8: In order to receive hospice care, you must have cancer.
- Truth: Hospice care is appropriate for the end-stage of any terminal illness or life-threatening condition. This includes heart disease and lung disease, among other terminal illnesses.
+ Myth #9: Hospice care is only for those who cannot afford regular medical care.
- Truth: Hospice of Natchitoches is reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid and by most commercial insurance plans. Hospice care is not only for the very poor.
+ Myth #10: Admission to hospice signifies a passive acceptance of the patient’s impending death.
- Truth: Hospices are very active and proactive in addressing the full range of medical, emotional, and spiritual concerns through the efforts of a comprehensive team of professionals, support staff, and volunteers. Hospice of Natchitoches goal is that each patient will experience the best quality of life.
+ Myth #11: There is really no difference between hospice care and home health.
- Truth: Although hospice care is provided most often in the home, there are significant differences between hospice and home health care. Home health is based on a medical model and addresses mainly issues dealing with the patient’s physical condition. Hospice is holistic in nature and addresses the entire patient, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Unlike home health, hospice patients are not required to be homebound. They are free to enjoy a complete range of social activities, as long as they are physically able. Also unlike home health agencies, Hospice of Natchitoches has physicians, chaplains, and volunteers who visit patients at home and a comprehensive bereavement program to support family members after the death of their loved one.
Myths and Misconceptions.
“I expected the last few weeks of my father’s life were going to be a nightmare – but the team at Hospice of Natchitoches made the transition a beautiful one where we understood everything taking place. I can never thank them enough for their loving support.”
— Tiffany S.
Hospice vs. Home Health.
Hospice is a philosophy of caring for the terminally ill. The philosophy holds that end-of-life care should emphasize quality of life. Hospice is about the living that goes on during the time between the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness and death.
Hospice is all-inclusive care:
The object of hospice care is to treat the whole person, not the disease. It is family-centered care that addresses the physical, spiritual, emotional, and practical needs of a patient with a life-threatening illness. An interdisciplinary team of health care professionals works with the patient and family to design and implement a plan of care unique to each patient. In addition to the care provided by the hospice team, hospice provides medications, services, and equipment directly related to the terminal illness. Hospice care does not end with the patient’s death; rather, it continues with at least 13 months of bereavement counseling for the family and other loved ones.
Hospice cares for people where they live, whether at home or a nursing facility.
Too many Americans still die alone or in pain. Too many endure costly and ineffective treatments. Unfortunately they are being referred to hospice care too late, or not at all.
Americans are aging.
Today, there are nearly 40 million seniors in the U.S. In the next 30 years, that number is expected to double, as baby boomers reach age 65. In light of end-of-life discussions taking place in the media, online, and in other arenas, these boomers will likely place high importance on dying well, just as they emphasized living well. Hospice provides the quality care that allows people to live well at the end of life.
Hospice care is what Americans want.
National Hospice Foundation research shows that the top four services Americans feel are most important for a loved one who has less than six months to live are:
Someone to be sure that the patient's wishes are enforced with the goal of rehabilitation;
Choice among the types of services the patient can receive;
Pain control tailored to the patient's wishes; and
Emotional support for the patient and family.
Hospice: The model for quality, compassionate care
Considered to be the model for quality, compassionate care at the end-of-life, hospice care involves a team-oriented approach to expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient's needs and wishes. Support is extended to the patient's loved ones, as well.
At the center of hospice is the belief that each of us should be able to die pain-free with dignity, and that our families receive the necessary support to allow us to do so. The focus is on caring, not curing.
Many patients experience pain and other distressing symptoms as illness progresses. Hospice staff receive special training to effectively anticipate, assess, treat, and prevent all types of physical symptoms that cause discomfort and distress.
Hospice care adds quality and value.
A recently released government study recognizes that hospice care improves the quality of end-of-life care provided to nursing facility residents. The hope is that the Medicare Hospice Benefit will be expanded to ensure access to hospice services by all terminally ill Americans whether they are in nursing homes, their own homes, freestanding hospice facilities, or in hospitals.
Although there are inpatient hospice facilities and some hospice are is provided in hospitals or nursing homes, the vast majority of hospice patients are cared for in their home. Today, 94.5 percent of hospice days of care are provided at the patient’s residence, whether home, nursing home, or assisted living facility.
Caregiver Resources
Being a caregiver is a difficult job, indeed. Whether it is your mom, dad, brother, sister, neighbor, or even your child, a serious illness or chronic condition can require all of your attention, energy, love and patience. The following resources can help you find more information and resources to make your role as a caregiver more manageable.
A free one-stop online resource to help caregivers find what they need. It provides information like:
Local resources for support groups, transportation, nutrition and more
Caregiving tips
Advanced directive resources
Finances and estate planning
Medical concerns and health resources
A great one-stop resource to find information about issues like home safety, pain management, talking with a child about his or her illness and much more.
Offers free patient websites to help loved ones share information and support throughout serious health events, care and recovery. It is extremely easy to set up and use; and it will automatically notify family and friends each time you post new information.