RICHLAND, Wash. —
Hospice care can sound scary when recommended by a physician because it is associated with death.
Medical Director of Palliative Care at Kadlec Dr. Navdeep Gill says hospice care is not as scary as it might sound.
“Some folks perceive hospice care as a four letter word,” says Gill. “When really it’s just an insurance benefit if you qualify for it.”
Dr. Gill says hospice care does not need to be recommended by a physician, but the discussion of hospice care comes down to one question.
“Would I be surprised if this patient were to pass in the next six months or less?” says Gill. “If the answer to that question is no, I would not be surprised then really we should initiate what’s called a ‘Goal of Cares’ discussion to work through what’s really important for our patient.”
Kadlec works in partnership with Chaplaincy Health Care because Kadlec does not offer hospice care directly.
Chief Executive Officer of Chaplaincy Health Care Laurie Jackson says hospice shouldn’t be a scary conversation.
Jackson tells me if patients and their family members have been talking with their physician, the conversations should not be a surprise.
Jackson says, “Everyone is going to take a last breath so the more we talk about it the less scary it gets and then we can help people live their best lives because that’s what hospice is really all about.”
Jackson and Dr. Gill tell me that hospice care is to make the patient feel more comfortable during what could be the last part of their life.
Dr. Gill says hospitals have a goal to cure and treat people and when cures and treatment are not working plus, the illness looks terminal, that’s when care shifts towards hospice.
Dr. Gill and Jackson tell me it is rare, but some patients feel better and recover after spending some time in hospice care.
Jackson says, “They graduate and not just ‘graduate’, but they recover and get better!”
“They get better in lots of different ways,” says Jackson about the patients. “Sometimes people say, ‘You know what? There’s a new treatment out there,’ or ‘I wanna try something else,’ and they get off hospice, but can always come back on.”
Jackson and Dr. Gill say there is no definite end to hospice because each person needs different treatment, but as long as a person is eligible they can keep receiving hospice care.
“There is no limit to hospice, I think is the most important thing to know,” says Dr. Gill. “It does not have to happen in a short time frame.”
Jackson tells me Chaplaincy Health Care is funded by Medicaid and they can offer hospice care to anyone who might need it. Jackson tells me most insurances cover hospice care, but if someone doesn’t have insurance or can’t pay out of pocket for it, Chaplaincy can still offer hospice care for free.
Jackson says, “If somebody is unable to pay and say they don’t qualify for Medicaid, we still get them on.”
Jackson tells me you do not need a physician’s recommendation to be on hospice care and their website has an option to refer a family member or friend for hospice care.
