Hospice is not intended for 24 hour care. The benefit is regulated by Medicare/Medicaid and private insurance plans which generally do not pay for 24 hour care. Hospice therefore depends on and works with a primary caregiver – family, friends, private duty aides or caregivers provided by a nursing facility.
However, there is always a nurse on call 24/7 to reach out to for guidance during times of uncontrolled symptoms, unmanaged pain, or if the patient is actively dying, Serenity Point Hospice does provide continuous care for times when patient has sudden onset of unmanaged symptoms or pain, has had a loss of caregiver or if the patient is actively dying.
Continuous Care
Continuous care is one of the four levels of hospice care in the Medicare Hospice Benefit Continuous home care is only furnished during brief periods of crisis and includes nursing care, hospice aide and/or homemaker services. The purpose of continuous home care is to achieve palliation and management of acute medical symptoms as necessary to maintain the terminally ill patient at home or during the time of actively passing.