There’s a movement across the U.S. to improve the late life and end of life experience. Hospice services, a key to improving end of life care care from the earliest days of the movement, have grown from one in 1974 to more than 4,000 today. And they now serve more than 1.3 million people per […]
Looking for a nearby hospice service? We’ve created a free online hospice directory showing Medicare-certified hospices known to us to serve patients in or near our South Bay (Los Angeles County) area. We’ve noted whether they have served one or more residents at Caring House. Before helping residents, a hospice enters into a care coordination agreement […]
We just published a report covering living arrangements and obtaining needed help when a person is receiving hospice services under Medicare. It covers the four levels of hospice, skilled vs. personal care, goals of care, where patients receive hospice services, hiring home care help, moving and receiving care outside the home, and much more. Please take […]
At Caring House we’re thankful for many people. They include Our residents, who entrust our staff and volunteers with their care — and teach us along the way. The families and friends of our residents who support them and our work. The neighbors who have welcomed us into the neighborhood and helped us create a place […]
Karen Pearson, our resident care manager, recently met with more than 70 representatives of 22 care homes from across the nation. The occasion was the Third Annual Social Hospice Network Conference, held July 15-18, 2015 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Showing the strong growth of this movement, the attendance was more than double that of the 2014 event. “Social Hospice” […]
At Caring House, we believe strongly in the importance of hospice support at the end of life. More than a dozen Medicare-certified hospice service providers serve the South Bay. Caring House – not a hospice service provider itself – will be a place where a person can choose to receive hospice services. By providing a […]
Ever been mystified by medical and care terminology? In hospitals and other care settings, words and phrases are often used that are rarely used elsewhere. From “advance directive” to “DNR” – from “full code” to “renal failure” – we’ve put together this quick, plain-language guide to hospital and care terms. Advance directive: Typically a written […]
Medicare has four distinct levels of hospice services. Routine Home Care: Provided by the hospice service in the patient’s home or wherever the patient lives. Applies to about 95% of hospice care. Respite Care: Short-term care (limited to 5 consecutive days) for the patient in a care facility to relieve the family or other caregiver. […]
Answer: In October 2010, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) issued its report titled “NHPCO Facts and Figures: Hospice Care in America”. The report includes data through 2009. Focusing on where hospice patients were residing at their times of death, NHPCO reports that 40.1% were at home in 2009 (compared to 40.7% in […]
Answer: Well, many people are doing exactly that. Our experience, however, has been that nursing homes are far less than ideal places to receive end-of-life care. The professional literature confirms our experience.