AlCPC

About Hospice Care in Alabama

It is unfortunate that many people who died in a hospital emergency room or who received heroic treatments to prolong life in a hospital may have had the alternative of dying at home in familiar surroundings, with family or other loved ones at their side.

When someone is in crisis or appears to be going downhill fast but there really is no hope for recovery, family often call 911 and start a process which can result in great stress and great emotional discomfort. The loved one who is dying ends up in a hospital and may die there or be transferred to a nursing home where death eventually occurs.

When there is no longer hope for prolonging life, especially when this decision is made months in advance, hospice is usually a better alternative to other medical intervention.

Hospice is a form of palliative care for patients who are terminally ill. A commonly used definition for terminally ill patients is, "patients who have a progressive, incurable illness that will end in death despite good treatment, and who are sick enough that you would not be surprised if they died within six months."

Hospice care is a valuable service and is generally underused except for terminal cancer patients. Hospice allows for compassion and dignity in the process of dying. Most families wait too long to have their doctor prescribe hospice from Medicare. It should be considered at an earlier stage.

Hospice involves a team approach using the following providers.

  • Family caregivers;
  • The patient' s personal physician;
  • Hospice physician (or medical director);
  • Nurses;
  • Home health aides;
  • Social workers;
  • Clergy or other counselors;
  • Trained volunteers; and
  • Speech, physical, and occupational therapists, if needed.

The purpose of hospice is the following:

  • Manages the patient's pain and symptoms;
  • Assists the patient with the emotional and psychosocial and spiritual aspects of dying;
  • Provides needed medications, medical supplies, and equipment;
  • Coaches the family on how to care for the patient;
  • Delivers special services like speech and physical therapy when needed;
  • Makes short-term inpatient care available when pain or symptoms become too difficult to manage at home, or the caregiver needs respite time; and
  • Provides bereavement care and counseling to surviving family and friends.

A person can receive hospice from Medicare if he or she is

  • eligible for Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance), and
  • the doctor and the hospice medical director certify that the person is terminally ill and probably has less than six months to live, and
  • the person or a family member signs a statement choosing hospice care instead of routine Medicare covered benefits for the terminal illness, and
  • care is received from a Medicare-approved hospice program.

A person may continue to receive regular Medicare benefits from his or her customary doctors for conditions not related to the hospice condition.

Alabama Senior Services

Senior Services for familiesOur council is dedicated to helping families in Alabama deal with the issues and challenges aging seniors face. We do this by offering a trusted listing source of eldercare and senior services in your area.

Some of these senior services include Care Management, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Funeral Planning, Home Care, Medicaid Planning, Placement, Reverse Mortgage, and help with Veterans Benefits.

Books on Medicaid, Eldercare, Veterans Benefits, and Long Term Care

Eldercare BooksThe Alabama Care Planning Council offers books written by the National Care Planning Council, a leader in providing materials on timely subjects relating to aging seniors.

Below are five of their popular books:

"How to Apply for Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits for Senior Veterans and Their Survivors" (2024)

"How to Deal with 21 Critical Issues Facing Aging Seniors"

"The 4 Steps of Long Term Care Planning"

"Protect Assets from Nursing Home Costs: Medicaid Secrets" (2024)

Join the Alabama Care Planning Council

Join the AlCPCThe elderly and their caregivers search online everyday for senior services and frequently find our web site, carealabama.net. We, along with the National Care Planning Council, have become an important resource for families looking for help.

We invite you to become a member of the AlCPC starting at only $15.00 a month. Your membership will include an advertising listing(s) on two sites, your own personal sales (web) page, and access to the member section.