Frequently Asked Questions

Hospice brings compassionate care and support to those diagnosed with life-limiting illnesses. The hospice team is specially trained to provide patients and families with support and services through and beyond the end of life. With the emphasis on comfort, families can spend time simply being together. Hospice is not a place; it is care that can be provided where and when needed. Care is available in private homes, nursing facilities, or assisted living residences.

Hospice can be provided in many settings — a private home, nursing home, assisted living facility, or in a hospital. Many people choose to receive hospice care at home so their friends and family can visit as they wish. Other considerations may include one’s home environment vs. another setting, cost, and stability of the person’s condition. Choosing where to receive hospice care is a personal decision, but it may be helpful to talk with family members, your caregiver, or your doctor about the level of care you need and if it can be provided at home. The costs for receiving hospice care at different locations may differ.

Your team will devise a special plan just for you and your loved ones. They will focus on improving your pain and symptoms. They will check on you regularly, and a member of the team will be on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A doctor -- either your own or one connected with a program -- will give medical care. Nurses will also check on you. Aides will assist with things such as bathing, dressing, cleaning, and cooking. Other services that are available include: Chaplain and spiritual services for you and your loved ones Social work and counseling Medicine to ease pain Medical equipment and supplies Advice on eating Physical and speech therapy Counseling for your loved ones

While some may think hospice provides 24-hours a day, 7 days a week custodial care or full-time care at home or an outside facility, this is rarely the case. Although hospice provides a lot of support, most of the day-to-day care is provided by family and friends if you remain in your home. If you choose to receive services in another location, such as Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing Facility, Memory Care, or Group Home, care is provided 24/7 for those locations. However, a hospice care team member will visit you regularly and is always available by phone 24/7.

Among its major responsibilities, the interdisciplinary hospice team: Manages the patient’s pain and symptoms Assists the patient with the emotional and psychosocial and spiritual aspects of dying Provides needed drugs, medical supplies, and equipment Coaches the family on how to care for the patient Delivers special services like physical therapy, speech therapy, and even music and art therapy Makes short-term inpatient care available when pain or symptoms become too difficult to manage at home, or the caregiver needs respite time Provides bereavement care and counseling to surviving family and friends

Typically, a family member serves as the primary caregiver and, when appropriate, helps make decisions for the person with a life limiting illness. Members of the hospice staff make regular visits to assess the patient and provide additional care or other services. The hospice team develops a care plan that meets each patient’s individual needs for pain management and symptom control. Support for family caregivers is also assessed throughout the care period. While the range of services provided will vary depending on each individual situation and the specific needs, hospice staff are available by phone 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

Anyone with a serious illness who doctors think has a short time to live — generally 6 months or less —usually qualifies for hospice care.

Despite the benefits of using hospice care, many people wait to receive hospice care until the final weeks or days of life. It’s important to talk with your doctor about your illness and how your disease is progressing. Starting hospice early may be able to provide months of meaningful care and quality time with loved ones. You will receive the most benefit from hospice services when you start them early.

Most people receiving hospice care are covered by the Medicare hospice benefit. This benefit covers virtually all aspects of hospice care with little out-of-pocket expense to the patient or family. As a result, the financial burdens usually associated with caring for a terminally ill patient are virtually nonexistent. In addition, most private health plans and Medicaid in most states and cover hospice services.

Contrary to common belief, hospice is not a place but rather a team-oriented philosophy and program of care. The majority of our patients receive hospice care in their own homes or the residence of a loved one. We also provide hospice care in assisted living and long-term care facilities and short-term inpatient stays for pain and symptom control or caregiver respite. You can find out more about these options and get answers to other hospice questions by calling us at 224-361-3330.

Yes! Advance Care Planning involves making decisions ahead of time about the health care you would want to receive at the end of life. Studies have shown that patients who have participated in advanced care planning receive care that is more aligned with their wishes and are more satisfied with their care. Prepare for your Care, funded in part by the National Institute on Aging, is a patient-directed interactive online advanced care program that helps you fill out an advance directive and put your care wishes into writing. This tool is available in English and Spanish.

When you begin hospice care, medication and other treatments to cure or control your serious illness will stop. For example, if you are receiving chemotherapy that is meant to treat or cure your cancer, that must end before you can enter hospice care. However, a person in hospice can continue to take medications to treat other conditions or symptoms, for example, high blood pressure.

Most Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance providers will cover some of the services provided by hospice. Older adults enrolled in Medicare can receive hospice care if their healthcare provider thinks they have 6 months or less to live. In most cases, they will need to sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of other Medicare-covered treatments for their illness.

Now is the best time to learn more about hospice. Although end-of-life care may be challenging to discuss, it is best for patients and their family members to fully understand their care options. Having a discussion early on allows the patient the opportunity to share their wishes, priorities, and goals. Learning more about hospice care early on can greatly reduce stress when the time for hospice is needed. Instead, patients can make an educated decision that includes the advice and input of family members and loved ones. Hospice care, at any stage, but particularly early on, can significantly lighten the burden of both the patient and primary caregivers.

No. Hospice is about living. Illuminate strives to bring quality of life and comfort to each patient and their family. Our successes are in helping a patient and family live fully until the end. Often patients will feel better with good pain and symptom management. Hospice is an experience of care and support, different from any other type of care.

Now is the best time to learn more about hospice. Although end-of-life care may be difficult to discuss, it is best for patients and their family members to fully understand their care options. Having a discussion early on allows the patient the opportunity to share their wishes, priorities, and goals. When you learn more about hospice care early on, it can greatly reduce stress when the time for hospice is needed. Instead, patients can make an educated decision that includes the advice and input of family members and loved ones. Hospice care, at any stage, but particularly early on, can significantly lighten the burden of both the patient and primary caregivers.

No. Hospice is about living. Illuminate strives to bring quality of life and comfort to each patient and their family. Our successes are in helping a patient and family live fully Many patients and families find that when in hospice care their hope is not lost but in fact redirected. Often they hope that their longstanding pain or debilitating symptoms can be reduced or eliminated, or that they are able to resolve strained relationships, or that they are able to spend more quality time with their family, or attend a family wedding. With their pain finally well managed, many find new hope for the things their illness had taken from them. Hospice is an experience of care and support, different from any other type of care.