What to Expect in Hospice: The Four Levels of Care
Presented by Jennifer Kennedy
This course provides an overview of hospice care for seriously ill individuals at the end of life as a part of the palliative care continuum. Participants will learn to identify the components and benefits of hospice care at the end of life and when hospice care is an appropriate option for an individual. The course will provide a review of the unique structure of hospice care delivery, the Medicare Hospice Benefit and its four levels of care, and disease related criteria for hospice eligibility and care.
Meet your instructor
Jennifer Kennedy
Dr. Jennifer Kennedy is the Vice President for Quality, Standards, and Compliance at Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) and is a nationally recognized hospice expert. She has more than 35 years of experience as a leader and nurse in diverse healthcare settings and has worked in hospice and palliative care for the…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Hospice Care
The baby boomer generation is aging and many are choosing palliative hospice care at the end of life. Even though hospice care has been a part of the health care continuum in the United States (US) for over 30 years, many health care professionals and lay individuals do not understand what it is or its benefits as an end of life care choice. This chapter discusses the roots of hospice care in the US and its application as an end of life disease management model of care.
2. How Hospice Works
Medicare is the number one payer for older adults in the US, and many of those older adults suffer with multiple chronic diseases or a life-threatening illness. This chapter will discuss the Medicare Hospice Benefit and its four levels of care for the provision of hospice care.
3. Hospice Eligibility and Benefits
There are many myths about hospice care in the lay public as well as in the health care professional community. Individuals can receive hospice care if they suffer from end-stage chronic disease or if they are seriously ill from another illness such as cancer. This chapter will examine the disease related criteria for hospice eligibility for the Medicare Hospice Benefit as well as describing the value of hospice care for a seriously ill patient and their family.
4. The Hospice Team
The interdisciplinary team approach in caring for a patient and their family makes hospice unique in the health care continuum. Core professional services within the Medicare Hospice Benefit include the physician, nurse, social worker, spiritual counselor, and bereavement counselor. This chapter will review the structure, function, and collaboration of the interdisciplinary hospice team and its application in a brief case study.
More courses in this series
Defining Hospice Nursing: What the Best Hospice Care Looks Like
Jennifer Kennedy
Home Visits in Hospice: Quality and Comfort Toward End of Life
Jennifer Kennedy
The Role of the Hospice Team: What Does the Patient/Family Need?
Jennifer Kennedy
What to Expect in Hospice: The Four Levels of Care
Jennifer Kennedy
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