Frequently Asked Questions
What is hospice?
Hospice is a special kind of care for persons and their families facing an incurable, end-stage illness. Hospice patients are cared for at home or in a facility (nursing home, assisted living facility, Hospice House) by a team that includes physicians, nurses, certified nurse assistants, social workers, non-denominational chaplains and specially-trained volunteers. Our care concentrates on pain control and symptom management so that patients can maximize the quality of the time that remains. Hospice care focuses on the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs that patients and families experience when dealing with an incurable illness.
Why do people choose hospice?
Hospice provides care wherever one calls home. Whether you live in a home, apartment, assisted living facility, nursing home or elsewhere, we will care for you there. Hospice care allows patients and their families to remain together in the comfort and dignity of their homes. According to a Gallop survey, nine out of ten Americans say they would prefer to be cared for in the comfort of their own home or a family member's home if they were diagnosed with an incurable illness.
Hospice care is patient and family focused. Services are provided for the patient and family. Hospice care differs from other forms of healthcare in that it focuses on the patient's support system as well as the patient.
Hospice of the Comforter’s staff are trained specifically in palliative (comfort) care and symptom control. We strive to help patients live their days as peacefully and pain-free as possible. Our staff is on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Hospice care also decreases costly hospitalizations. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, patients not enrolled in hospice care spend 23 of their last days in the hospital, while patients enrolled in hospice spend only eight days in acute care settings.
Does hospice mean giving up hope?
Choosing hospice care shifts the focus of treatment from aggressive medical curative measures to medical comfort measures. Hospice does nothing to speed up or slow down the dying process, but accepts death as a natural and inevitable event. Although some mistakenly see hospice care as giving up all hope, studies have demonstrated that hospice patients improve physically and emotionally, because their home and family situations have stabilized, their economic worries are reduced and lastly, but most significantly, their pain is lessened. But, we need early contact with the patient and family to accomplish this. When pain and symptoms of a disease are controlled and medical, social and family support is provided, patients often have a quality, extended life.
When is it time to call Hospice of the Comforter?
Before you need it! Now is the right time if you have end-of-life questions for yourself or someone you love. Getting answers to your questions now will make it easier to make a future decision about hospice care. Call our Referrals Department at 407-682-9090 at any time to speak to us about our services.
Isn’t hospice for the last few days of my life?
No. The most common comment we hear from patients and families is, “I wish I had started hospice sooner.” The reason we hear this is because patients and families are not aware of how soon they can begin benefiting from the full range of hospice services. Many patients spend weeks and even months on hospice. Because of our expert symptom management and emotional support, many of our patients and families experience less stress, less pain and more quality time spent with their loved ones. Patients are evaluated on an ongoing basis to ensure they meet the criteria to continue receiving hospice care.
Are all hospices the same? Are they connected to each other?
Hospice is not a single place or single organization. There are for-profit hospices and nonprofit hospices; some are independent and some are part of larger organizations. Hospice of the Comforter is the only nonprofit, independent hospice serving Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties.
What makes Hospice of the Comforter special?
Hospice of the Comforter is a community-based, nonprofit hospice that supports the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of a person's last journey. Hospice of the Comforter staff believe that they are guests on this intimate journey. We have served tens of thousands of patients in the Central Florida community since 1990, longer than any other nonprofit hospice provider in our area.
Our Hospice House is the only free-standing inpatient hospice facility in Central Florida. Medicare requires certified hospices provide minimum requirements of care, but the quality and quantity of services may vary greatly between hospices.
We suggest asking questions to determine the best hospice for you: Does the hospice have its own inpatient facility? Is it a nonprofit hospice or a for-profit hospice? Are they a local organization, or are they owned out-of-area? How many local volunteers do they have? Which nursing homes and hospitals are they contracted with?
How can I get hospice care?
Your physician can refer you. He or she must certify that you have six months or less to live if your disease or condition continues at a standard pace. Patients who live beyond the initial six months continue receiving hospice care as long as the attending physician recertifies that the patient is terminally ill.
Family members, friends, clergy, or health professionals can also make referrals, but you will still need to be seen by a physician. They can do this by contacting our Referrals department online or by calling 407-682-9090. Your physician, nurse or healthcare provider is required by law to offer you a choice of hospice providers.
How do I pay for hospice care?
Hospice services are covered by Medicaid, Medicare, most private insurance plans and other managed care systems. While some hospices charge patients without coverage on a sliding scale or simply turn them away, Hospice of the Comforter will never turn away a patient due to lack of reimbursement. We have provided millions of dollars in free care.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has a comprehensive Web site for caregivers that serves as an all-inclusive resource on Medicare and other caregiver-related issues. The Ask Medicare site clearly explains what Medicare does and doesn't cover and helps caregivers find organizations that assist the elderly and their caregivers.
Is hospice care only for cancer patients?
Hospice cares for any patient with any incurable illness with a prognosis of six months or less. Hospice patients have a variety of diagnoses, ranging from cancer, ALS, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease to AIDS, COPD, and end-stage heart, liver, pulmonary or renal disease. Hospice also cares for those failing to thrive or with an unspecified debility. Click here to learn more about common diseases and conditions appropriate for hospice care.
What services are provided?
- Regular visits by professional team members and 24-hour on-call support
- Volunteer services - patient sitting, errands, odd jobs, befriending, bereavement support
- Education of family members in the care of patient
- Personal care and light housekeeping by a certified nursing assistant
- Medical equipment, supplies and medication needed for terminal illness
- Counseling and social work assistance
- Non-denominational spiritual counseling and support
- Short-term inpatient care in a hospital, skilled nursing facility or Hospice House for symptom control or family respite
- Comprehensive bereavement programs - adult services and school age children's programs
Will hospice medications decrease my life expectancy?
No. The hospice philosophy is to neither prolong life nor hasten death but to provide medications and other treatments that will keep patients as comfortable as possible. In fact, a 2007 study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management reported that hospice care may prolong the lives of some hospice patients.
Are food and water withheld?
No. When a loved one wants to eat or drink less than usual, it may cause family members to become concerned about their loved one’s comfort. A decrease in appetite is a natural progression of the dying process and is not painful or uncomfortable to the patient. We take special care to consult with family members and make the patient and family comfortable during this time. Patients are always in control of their own food and water intake.