24-Hour Continuous Hospice Care

Grandma and grandson hugging together

The practice of offering 24 hours hospice care at home is known as continuous care. When medically appropriate, hospice team members work in shifts of up to 24 hours per day for a brief period to help patients remain at home through a difficult time rather than be admitted to a hospital. This intensive level of care is appropriate when a patient has acute symptoms that the primary caregiver can’t manage. All hospices that receive funding from Medicare must offer continuous care.

Why Have A 24/7 Hospice Check?

If your loved ones or the people you care for are receiving hospice care, you should note that they can receive temporary or permanent 24-hour home hospice care depending on the patient’s situation and preference. Mostly 24/7 hospice care is given in a crisis of:

  • Change in level of consciousness
  • Seizures
  • Trouble breathing
  • Intensive Comfort Care may include:
  • Restlessness or agitation
  • Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that won’t ease up
  • Uncontrolled pain

Who Is Eligible For 24/7 Hospice Palliative Care?

To be admitted to the hospice program, a patient must meet the criteria noted on the Eligibility Guidelines. In general, any patient who is diagnosed with a having a limited life expectancy is eligible. All U.S. citizens age 65 and older are entitled to Medicare coverage for the hospice benefit if clinically eligible.

Who Pays For 24/7 Hospice Care?

Medicare, Medicaid, Medi-Cal, and most major private insurance providers pay for hospice care. If a patient does not have any payment support from insurance, they may pay all or part of the bill personally. The critical thing to remember is that no one is denied service because of an inability to pay.

Intensive care that might be carried during 24/7 Hospice Care includes:

  • Additional care by a hospice nurse or aide
  • Support from a hospice physician who will consult with the patient’s physician
  • Intensive, personal care wherever the patient calls home, whether that is a private residence, nursing home, or assisted living community

Levels Of 24/7 Hospice Care

Ameriprime offers different broad types, or levels, of care as defined by the Medicare hospice benefit:

  • Continuous home care. This brings shifts of acute symptom management to the patient’s bedside for up to 24 hours/day per Medicare guidelines.
  • Routine home care. This is how we provide hospice care most often: in patients’ homes, long-term care facilities, and nursing homes.
  • Inpatient care. Suppose a patient’s needs cannot be managed at home. In that case, Ameriprime inpatient hospice units and special arrangements at other local facilities provide hospice care around the clock until the patient can return home.
  • Respite care. This care is limited to five consecutive days. Respite care provides a brief relief for the patient’s primary caregiver by admitting the home care patient to an institutional setting without meeting the pain and symptom management criteria.

A Compassionate and Caring Team

Ameriprime hospice care ensures you get skilled medical caregivers in nursing homes, care facilities, and even hospitals. The hospice team can help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Are you in Dallas, Richardson, Carrolton, Garland, and surrounding TX communities? Don’t hesitate to contact us at (972) 787-0949 or on the contact form on our website to book your 24/7 hospice care.

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