When choosing a Hospice for you or a loved one, it’s essential to know all the services available. Continuous Home Care is a valuable part of the Hospice Care Plan that is often underutilized.
The level of hospice care called continuous home care is when a nurse stays in your home for an extended period if your loved one is experiencing a medical crisis and severe symptoms such as unrelieved pain or shortness of breath. Continuous Home Care is provided under specific circumstances to give between 8 and 24 hours a day of nursing or nursing aides to manage uncontrolled pain and other uncontrolled acute medical symptoms. Services are provided to the patient at home until the crisis or “out of control” symptom has subsided. However, during a medical crisis like this, your hospice physician or nurse may decide the general inpatient level of care will be a better option to address your loved one’s needs.
Hospice focuses on caring, not curing and in most cases, care is provided in the patient’s home. Hospice care also is provided in freestanding hospice centers, hospitals, and nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Hospice services are available to patients of any age, religion, race, or illness. Hospice care is covered under Medicare, Medicaid, most private insurance plans, HMOs, and other managed care organizations.