Hospice Patient Referral

Healthcare Practitioners: Knowing When Hospice Care is Right for Your Patient

Jackie Gill, RN & Catherine Muthama, RN

Who Is Eligible

• Adults of all ages
• Patients with a prognosis of six months or less if the disease runs its normal course
• Patients/families electing palliative care
• Patients not responding to curative measures

Diagnosis

• Oncology
• End stage COPD, CHF, CVA, liver disease
• Kidney failure
• Alzheimer’s
• AIDS
• Debility unspecified
• Other diagnoses may be appropriate

Symptoms

• Unintentional weight loss
• Nausea, vomiting
• Uncontrolled pain
• Progressive decrease in response to medical modalities
• Frequent hospitalizations and ER visits
• Assistance with most activities of daily living

Levels of Care

• Routine home care at home
• Routine home care in nursing homes, assisted living facilities or personal care homes
• Respite care
• Crisis care
• Inpatient care

Payment Source

• Medicare Part A
• Medicaid
• Commercial insurance
• Charity

Treatments that Require Evaluation
Halcyon Hospice specializes in palliative care. We handle clinically complex patients and evaluate the appropriateness of each treatment as it relates to pain and symptom management or to enhance a patient’s quality of life. The following treatments require evaluation on a case-by-case basis for admission to hospice services

• Palliative radiation
• Dialysis
• Feeding tubes
• IV treatments or hydration
• Chemotherapy
• Transfusions

The attending physician remains the attending physician and continues to follow and bill for services as usual.

For evaluation of your patient for hospice services, contact Halcyon Hospice at 855.328.1700