The Hospice Care Journey

Choosing at-home care takes careful consideration. Your priority is ensuring that your loved one is properly cared for. During this life transition, it’s important to learn about the hospice admission journey. Knowing what to expect can relieve your concerns and equip you with much-needed confidence as you make critical decisions about your loved one’s care. First, you will need to confirm that your loved one is eligible for care so you can begin the admissions process. Our team at Shiloh Hospice offers compassionate guidance as you navigate your options. We’re prepared to help you every step of the way.

Make a Referral

The family or patient’s healthcare provider will make a referral for hospice. The first call is where we will ask for information about the patient’s condition and their primary physician. After receiving permission from the patient, we will contact their doctor so we can better understand their prognosis and eligibility. The patient can begin hospice care only with a physician’s order.

Consultation

One of our representatives will meet with your family to discuss the patient’s care needs. This consultation is where you’ll get important information and ask questions regarding our services and the care your loved one will receive.

Assessment

The assessment visit marks the beginning of the patient’s transition to hospice. This meeting is our opportunity to gather more information about your loved one’s healthcare needs. It’s also your chance to understand what types of care and services are included in hospice. Together, we’ll build a plan that matches your loved one’s specific needs. A few examples of eligibility requirements include the following:

• Diagnosis of a life-limiting condition
• Frequent need to be hospitalized over the previous six months
• Growing fatigue, weakness and somnolence
• Cognitive changes that impact functioning
• Trouble performing activities of daily living, including eating, walking, bathing, continence and dressing
• Decline in health condition
• Recurring infection
• Compromised mental abilities

Certain disease-specific criteria may also indicate that your loved one is eligible for hospice care, such as a diagnosis of AIDS, dementia, cancer, liver disease and congestive heart failure. If we determine that your loved one is eligible for hospice care based on these criteria, we’ll provide consent forms for you to sign.

Beginning Care

Once a plan is in place and all of the necessary consent documents are filled, the patient will be admitted and begin receiving hospice care. Hospice admission requires insurance information, a copy of the patient’s DNR and other advance directives, a medication list, medical equipment they need and other information you believe is important for our team to know.

Our nurses, social workers, chaplain and aides will visit the patient. Each staff member has an important role in supporting all aspects of their needs, including physical, emotional and spiritual ones. We provide attentive care for your loved one and also make sure that your family is adequately supported during this time.

Your satisfaction is important to us, and empathy is at the foundation of what we do. We want you to be able to focus on spending time with your loved one while we handle the logistics of starting hospice care.