When hospice begins caring for a terminally ill patient, there's often a need for additional assistance in the home. The primary focus of hospice care is quality of life through comfort, dignity and understanding. Hospice addresses the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of terminally ill patients, while supporting the well being of family members.

Combining Hospice and Home Care

Combining hospice with home care offers the ultimate level of end-of-life care when the fundamental goal is to keep a patient in their home setting, and provide family members necessary support in working towards that goal.

Whether your loved one is working with a home health specialist, staying in a hospital, or living in a long-term care facility or elsewhere, hospice is provided on the basis of need, not the ability to pay. "Time and time again, we receive letters from family members who wish they had known about hospice sooner. The longer we have to develop a rapport with the patient and family, the more benefits we can offer," says Janet Hessenflow is the executive director of Crossroads Hospice in Kansas City, Missouri.

Medicare and Medicaid services pay 100 percent for hospice care, as do many private insurance plans. It is important to research your benefits, as hospice may present minimal or no out-of-pocket costs to the family. When hospice is chosen, the hospice pays for all medical equipment (such as a hospital bed, commode, wheelchair, oxygen, etc.), medical supplies (such as wound care supplies, ostomy supplies, incontinence products, etc.), and all medications related to the end-stage or terminal diagnosis.