Choosing the Right Care: Home Care or Hospice Care?
As a caregiver, there are services that can supplement the care you give to your loved one.
Both hospice care and home health care can be provided wherever you and your loved one call home. Both services are covered by the Medicare benefit, but there are many differences between the types of care which provide different, yet important, benefits to patients and caregivers.
Hospice care is provided wherever you call home and is limited to patients who are facing an incurable illness, usually with a life expectancy of six months or less. Hospice care focuses on caring, not curing. Pain and symptom management, along with emotional and spiritual care, is provided by an expert team of physicians, nurses, certified nursing assistants, chaplains, social workers, trained volunteers and counselors.
Home health services are available to any patient with a skilled medical care need, whether simply recuperating from surgery or requiring intravenous medication. Typically, home health care services provide a nurse to primarily administer care with other professionals providing care as ordered.
When facing the end of life, choosing hospice services is critical to ensuring the holistic needs of both patient and caregiver are met by a compassionate team of end-of-life care experts.
The Medicare benefit for both types of services also varies. This chart helps explain some of the differences in what types of services and care are covered by Medicare.
|
|
Hospice Medicare Benefit |
Home Health Medicare Benefit |
|
Visiting Nurse |
* |
*Only if patient is homebound and has teachable caregiver in home. |
|
Visiting Nursing Assistant |
* |
*Covered only if patient has skilled need |
|
Counseling, Chaplain and Volunteer Services |
* Available to both patient and caregivers |
*Only available for patient |
|
Medications |
*All medications related to the hospice diagnoses |
|
|
Home Medical Equipment |
*100% covered |
*Covered 80% of approved amount |
|
Respite Care |
* |
|
|
24-Hour On Call Nurse |
* |
|
|
Inpatient Care |
*For short-term symptom management |
|
|
Skilled Continuous Care |
*For short-term symptom management to prevent hospitalization |
*Only covered where need is finite and predictable |
|
Medical and Personal Supplies |
* |
|
|
Dietician Services |
* |
|
|
Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapies |
* |
*Covered with restrictions on occupational therapy |
|
Services Provided in Skilled Nursing Facilities |
*Available if patient is not receiving active therapy |
|
|
Grief Support |
*Available prior to and up to 13 months after a patient’s death |
|
|
Physician Services |
*Hospice physician 100% *Private Physician under Part B – 80% |
*Only 80% of approved charges covered under Part B |