Understanding Hospice Eligibility and Its Impact on Emergency Department Visits
Published
July 7, 2023Patients with late-stage illnesses who frequently visit the Emergency Department often face unpredictable medical needs. These individuals typically have advanced, chronic, or progressive diseases such as cancer, heart failure, COPD, along with advanced neurological conditions. Their visits to the Emergency Department are often caused by uncontrolled symptoms, complications, or sudden emergencies related to their end-of-life illness.
Addressing the needs of these patients requires an approach that focuses on proactive symptom management, improved care coordination, and enhancing access to appropriate supportive services, with the goal of reducing Emergency Department visits while providing exceptional end-of-life care for these individuals in the late stages of their illnesses.
How Hospice Impacts Positively and Reduces Frequent Emergency Department Visits
Hospice care plays a significant role in positively impacting and reducing frequent Emergency Department visits for patients with late-stage illnesses. Here are some ways hospice achieves this:
- Proactive Symptom Management: Hospice care prioritizes effective symptom management to keep patients as comfortable as possible. By providing comprehensive pain control, managing symptoms, and offering emotional support, hospice helps prevent events that may lead to emergency department visits.
- Enhanced Care Coordination: Hospice care prioritizes effective symptom management to keep patients as comfortable as possible. By providing comprehensive pain control, managing symptoms, and offering emotional support, hospice helps prevent events that may lead to emergency department visits.
- 24/7 Support and Education: Hospice care provides 24/7 support and education for patients and their families. This availability helps address concerns and manage symptoms promptly, providing reassurance and reducing the need for emergency department visits. Families are educated with skills that are necessary to handle medical crises at home while helping them make decisions about when to seek urgent care.
- Focus on Comfort and Care: Hospice care focuses on improving the quality of life and ensuring a peaceful end-of-life experience. By prioritizing comfort and care, hospice reduces the physical and emotional distress that may drive patients to the emergency room. The quality end-of-life care focuses on the patient’s overall well-being, resulting in a decrease in unnecessary emergency department visits.
The Benefits of Early Hospice Enrollment
Enrolling in hospice care early can have a significant impact on reducing Emergency Department visits and preventing hospital readmissions for patients nearing the end of life. By joining hospice care at an earlier stage, patients benefit from comprehensive support, symptom management, care coordination, and advance care planning. The St. Croix Hospice team focuses on managing symptoms, ensuring better control and reducing the need for Emergency Department visits. Early enrollment also promotes discussions about advance care planning, allowing proactive crisis management and honoring the patient’s preferences.
Criteria for Hospice Care
To qualify for hospice care, several criteria must be met, including a specific life expectancy. The hospice physician must verify, with supporting documentation, that the patient’s terminal illness is expected to run its normal course and result in a prognosis of six months or less.
Additionally, the patient’s primary physician, if they have one, must also concur with this prognosis. When a discussion has been had and the patient no longer has curative options, or when the side effects of treatment outweigh the benefits, hospice is ultimately the appropriate choice.
Finally, the patient or their representative must sign admission paperwork, formally selecting hospice care as the preferred approach for addressing the terminal illness and any related conditions. These criteria ensure that hospice care is provided to individuals who have a limited life expectancy and have chosen a comfort-oriented approach to their care.
Encouraging Emergency Department Staff and Caregivers to Consider Hospice Care
Hospice care enhances the quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses. By identifying eligible patients, they receive comprehensive care, addressing pain, symptoms, emotional, and spiritual needs. It promotes comfort, dignity and overall well-being during the end-of-life journey. Identifying hospice-eligible patients facilitates timely intervention and patient-centered decision-making. It empowers patients to actively participate in their care and supports their families. By recognizing patients who may benefit from hospice, healthcare providers optimize resource allocation, ensuring appropriate and timely care while reducing unnecessary interventions.
How St. Croix Hospice Can Help a Patient and a First Responder
St. Croix Hospice can assist patients and their families by offering personalized care plans, pain management, emotional support and education on end-of-life care. Additionally, we can collaborate with first responders by providing them with the necessary information and resources, ensuring they are equipped to handle situations involving hospice patients effectively. It can also benefit first responders by reducing their burden of responding to emergency calls related to end-of-life care, allowing them to focus on other critical emergencies in the community.
Services provided by St. Croix Hospice include:
- 24/7 Availability
- Same-Day Admission
- On-site or Telehealth Consults
St. Croix Hospice Referral Process
The referral process for St. Croix Hospice is simple and straightforward. A referral can be made by anyone, including a patient, family member, friend, or healthcare professional. To start the referral process, you can:
- Call our toll-free number: (877) 855-1393
- Visit our Refer a Patient page
- Consult with your healthcare provider
Once the referral has been received, St. Croix Hospice will contact the patient and their family to discuss their care needs and preferences, assess eligibility and determine the most appropriate plan of care. By offering a comprehensive range of services and a seamless referral process, St. Croix Hospice provides exceptional end-of-life care to patients and their families.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the role of emergency room admission in hospice care?
The role of emergency room admission in hospice care is to address acute medical emergencies and provide immediate evaluation and management of distressing symptoms. It allows for collaboration between healthcare professionals, facilitates crisis intervention, and ensures appropriate care for hospice patients.
Can hospice care providers offer medical treatment at home?
Yes, hospice care providers can offer medical treatment at home. Hospice care is often provided in the patient’s home, and the interdisciplinary hospice team, including doctors and nurses, can administer medical treatments, manage symptoms, and provide necessary care and support in the comfort of the patient’s own residence.
What types of medical equipment are available for use in hospice care?
Medical equipment commonly used in hospice care includes items such as hospital beds, mobility aids (such as wheelchairs or walkers), oxygen therapy equipment, specialized mattresses for pressure ulcer prevention, medication administration devices (like infusion pumps), and equipment for pain management (such as PCA pumps for self-administered pain relief). The specific equipment provided depends on the patient’s needs and the services offered by the hospice care provider.
How does hospice care ensure that patients receive timely and appropriate care in the event of an emergency?
Hospice care ensures that patients receive timely and appropriate care in the event of an emergency by providing 24/7 availability of on-call hospice staff who can promptly respond to emergencies. These staff members are trained to address urgent situations, provide guidance to patients and their families, coordinate with emergency medical services, and facilitate the necessary interventions to alleviate distress and ensure the patient’s comfort and well-being.
Can hospice care providers communicate with a patient’s primary care physician or specialist to coordinate care and avoid unnecessary emergency room visits?
Yes, hospice care providers can and often do communicate with a patient’s primary care physician or specialist to coordinate care and avoid unnecessary emergency room visits. Collaborative communication between healthcare providers ensures that the patient’s overall care plan is aligned, allowing for proactive symptom management, timely interventions, and appropriate adjustments to the care plan based on the patient’s needs and preferences.