Hospice Care Options

For Medical Professionals

For Medical Professionals

Many doctors and medical professionals refer patients to our care and we want to ensure that each patient is properly qualified for the program.  Our team of professionals can assist you in this process. To refer a patient contact our centralized intake at 800-277-7302, or to contact your local agency directly, click here

Each patient is throughly evaluated for inclusion criteria upon referral, but here are some general guidelines:

  • Patients are diagnosed with a terminal illness with a prognosis of six months or less

  • Patients and families are fully informed of the prognosis and agree to the Hospice Care Options program.

We base our admission on the professional judgment of the referring physician.  Medicare requires that attending physicians certify that patients are terminally ill with a short prognosis before Hospice is considered an option.  CMS explains that "a physician's certification of a patient is based upon clinical judgment regarding the normal course of illness."

 

Common Diagnoses

There are a number of common diagnoses that will admit patients into the Hospice Care Options program.  The program requires proper documentation of illness(es) and qualifying diagnoses.  While the following list is not comprehensive, it is a listing of the most common illnesses we see.  There many others diagnoses including, but not limited to, Multiple Sclerosis, Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis, AIDS and Parkinson's.

Cancer

  • Pain 
  • Weight Loss, Malnutrition
  • Anxiety 
  • Metastatic Disease
  • Seeking Comfort Measures
  • No longer seeking curative treatment

Pulmonary

  • Shortness of breath at Rest
  • Oxygen Dependent
  • Steroid Dependent
  • Increased heart rate at rest
  • Weight Loss, Malnutrition
  • Responding Poorly to Medication and/or Treatment
  • Refusing to Take Medication and/or Treatment
  • Frequent Exacerbation with increased physician or ER visits

Cardiac

  • Recurrent CHF
  • Arrhythmia
  • Responding Poorly to Medication and/or Treatment
  • Refusing to Take Medication and/or Treatment
  • History of heart attack
  • Shortness of breath at rest 
  • Oxygen Dependent
  • Class IV NY Heart Association
  • Activity Limitations
  • Severe aortic stenosis

CVA

  • Frequent mini strokes 
  • Persistent Vegetative State
  • Difficulty swallowing or aspiration
  • Pneumonia
  • Weight Loss, Malnutrition
  • Requires significant assistance with self care
  • Mainly in bed
  • Poor nutritional status
  • Weight loss over 10 percent in the past 6 months
  • Recurrent Infections
  • Post-Stroke Dementia

Dementia/Alzheimer's

  • Dependent with ADLs, Incontinent
  • Inability to Communicate Properly
  • Recurrent Infections
  • Decubitus Ulcers
  • Aspiration of difficulty swallowing
  • Pneumonia
  • Weight Loss, Malnutrition
  • Unable to walk without assistance

Debility Unspecified

  • Multiple medical diagnoses
  • Compromising overall health 
  • Rapid decline
  • Weight loss, malnutrition
  • Dependence for assistance with activities of daily living