About Wyoming Hospice

Hospice is a philosophy of care, not a place. It promotes quality of life and recognizes that everyone should live out his/her life in comfort, dignity and with respect. From its’ beginning, hospice has focused on the whole person, body, mind and spirit, with the understanding that a terminal illness profoundly impacts not only the patient, but loved ones as well.

Hospice care centers on the patient and family. Hospice provides care when there is no cure Wyoming Hospice Organization through a team approach. The goal of the hospice professional team is to empower the patient and family to make choices with the hospice’s support and assistance. The hospice team serves as the patient and family’s advocates, helping them to access the information and resources needed during this challenging time.

In addition to providing care directly, hospice team members serve as teachers, enabling the family to care for their loved one at home.

Over the years, the medical community has come to embrace hospice for taking quality end-of-life care into the homes of the terminally ill and their families. (wherever home may be) With the support of hospice professionals and volunteers, individuals may maintain control over their end-of-life choices. They do so knowing that hospice will support the patient and family in a multitude of ways.

Wyoming Hospice Programs and Services

A team of hospice professionals and volunteers work cooperatively with the patient, family and primary physician to provide quality end-of-life care. While hospice addresses the individual’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs, it also attends to the equally important needs of the family and caregivers.

The hospice team includes:

• The patient’s physician who becomes an integral part of the hospice team and will continue to direct the plan of care.
  
• The hospice medical director who oversees the medical services provided each patient in the hospice program and ensures quality of care. Wyoming Hospice
  
• Registered nurses who specialize in pain management and symptom control, particularly for end-stage diseases.
  
• Certified nursing assistants who provide personal care and help with the activities of daily living.
  
• Social workers who assist the patient and family with emotional concerns, including bereavement, as well as access to supportive community resources.
  
• Pastoral counselors who serve all faiths, and those with no religious faith, providing comfort and support whenever requested. They also facilitate contacts with community clergy as needed.
  
• Bereavement counselors who support the family and loved ones of all ages with support groups, one-on-one counseling and other special services during the bereavement process.
  
• Occupational, physical, and speech therapists and dieticians who can help to improve quality of life.
  
• Volunteers who have been trained to provide companionship and support the patient and family with the everyday challenges of life.

The plan of care, developed by the hospice team and the patient’s primary physician will determine the frequency of scheduled visits from the various team members. This plan evolves to meet the patient’s changing needs. A hospice nurse can be reached by phone 24 hours a day, and emergency visits will be made when necessary.

Why should we choose Wyoming hospice?

The decision to choose hospice is very personal. It directly involves the patient, family, physician, and any loved ones who may serve as caregivers. There are a few things to consider. Hospice’s expertise in palliative, or ‘comfort’ care, assures the patient the best in pain control and symptom management. Hospice care enables patients to focus on living their remaining days fully, at home, among family and friends. The emphasis on family involvement, understanding the unique definitions of family, helps individuals support one another during this difficult time.

• Hospice care allows terminally ill patients and their families to remain together in the comfort and dignity of their home and to die in familiar surroundings.
   
• Hospice care is a cost effective alternative to the high costs associated with hospitals and traditional institutional care.
  

• Hospice treats the person, not the disease; focuses on family, not only the patient; and emphasizes the quality of life, not its’ duration.
  
  
• Hospice care relied on the combined knowledge and skill of a team of professionals, including physicians, nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers, counselors and trained volunteers.

Does choosing hospice mean I am giving up?

Hospice care focuses on enhancing the quality of life in its final stages. It seeks neither to shorten nor prolong life. A patient can choose to leave hospice care at any time and return to aggressive curative treatment for the disease. The choice is always yours. A physician’s referral to hospice care usually indicates that no other curative measures are appropriate.

Wyoming Hospice Comes to You

Hospice care takes place in the home. For some, ‘home’ may be a house or apartment. For others, it may be some form of extended care facility, such as a nursing home or assisted living community. In addition, there are a couple in-patient residences operating in Wyoming exclusively for hospice patients.

The majority of hospice patients live in their own homes with the help of family and friends who serve as primary caregivers. These caregivers work closely with the hospice team to provide for the patient’s daily needs. In extended care facilities, hospice teams create a partnership with the staff and family, just as they would with the family in the home. Home Hospice Care

Even if you move to another town or state, your hospice can make arrangements for you to receive hospice care from the provider in your new location.

In addition to home care, hospice can provide short-term inpatient care, in a hospice inpatient facility or most frequently in a hospital setting when necessary, to manage symptoms of the illness or to give family a brief respite from the responsibilities of care-giving. During these times, the hospice team remains involved and helps the patient transition back to the home environment as quickly as possible.

When Goals Shift from Cure to Comfort

When the goal of treatment begins to shift from curing the illness to providing comfort, it is time to consider hospice. This time may come well before the physician indicates that the patient’s life expectancy is six months or less. Sadly, many wait until their final days to involve hospice. By Sick person contacting hospice early in the diagnosis, the patient and family reserve time to understand their options and choose the path that will have the most positive impact on quality of life. The best time to learn about hospice is before you need it.

What is the cost and Who pays for it?

Reimbursement for hospice services comes from Medicare, Medicaid, HMO’s, private payors and other Private Insurance plans. Under Medicare/Medicaid in Wyoming, all services provided by the hospice team, medical equipment, such as hospital beds and pharmaceuticals related to the terminal illness are fully covered. (Although, hospices may collect a very low co-payment for pharmaceuticals.) Questions regarding the nature of the hospice benefit available within a particular insurance plan should be directed to the Insurer or to the hospice representative.

In 1983, congress expanded the Medicare insurance program to include hospice. To be eligible for this benefit, a physician must state in writing that, in his/her clinical opinion, the patient has less than six months to live if the disease runs its normal course. A physician must review the medical chart and restate his/her belief at certain intervals, known as, ‘benefit periods’. (two periods of Cost of Medical care90 days each, followed by an unlimited number of 60 day periods.) The patient or representative must sign an elective statement indicating that he/she understands the nature of the illness and of hospice care. In addition to hospice services, the patient may continue to receive Medicare benefits not related to the terminal illness. In Wyoming, Medicaid provides a similar benefit to Medicare for each day.

In the Medicare/Medicaid systems, hospices are treated distinctly from other health care providers. During the time that a beneficiary is receiving hospice care, the reimbursement is based on a daily rate paid to the hospice program for each day, without regard to the specific services provided on any given day. Patients and families are spared the bills and payment notices, because the claims-filing and reimbursements occur directly between hospice and the payment source.

Many hospices offer care on a private pay, sliding-fee scale, or charitable basis for those who have insufficient insurance. Charitable care is provided through the generosity of grants, gifts, and donations to not-for-profit hospice organizations. For-profit hospices may have foundations to assist patients in need. Speak to your local hospice about these options.