GUIDELINES

Each hospice follows Medicare’s guidelines.  We have to follow Medicare’s policy or we could lose our license.  A diagnosis alone is not enough.   Physicians make a hospice referral when it is their understanding that the patient has six months or less to live based on their illness and health history. 

“Marilyn’s” physician referred her to hospice after she took a fall two weeks ago.   She went to the Emergency Department after the fall to be checked out.  Not surprisingly, the fall shook her up a bit.  Marilyn has never married and has no children, but her dear friend, “Diane”, lives a few blocks away and visits daily.  Diane adorably calls herself Marilyn’s “faux daughter”.  

Marilyn lives alone, but has hired caregivers a few hours each day to help out.  The caregivers help with laundry, housekeeping and other chores.  Diane helps out a lot as well.  Marilyn uses a walker to ambulate.  She has been walking a bit slower since the fall, but still doing okay.  Diane helps out with meals and does the grocery shopping. 

When the nurse and I entered the home, Diane walked us out to the backyard where Marilyn was sitting.  Marilyn immediately started to share the history of the home as has lived there for many years.  It was so beautiful as there were Redwood trees all around.

 The nurse needed to ask about her health history in order to have an acceptable diagnosis for hospice admission.  There was none.  It was wonderful as she was so healthy.  She was a joy to be around.  She told us many life stories while putting a humorous spin on things.  I would love to stop by again to just say hi.  She was a delight.

GUIDELINES 

 

Medicare has specific guidelines

when admitting a patient to hospice.

Diagnoses alone are not enough.

Certain elements of decline are also required.

 

She took a fall at home two weeks ago.

She’s been in a slow decline since then.

She now has good days along with bad days,

but still able to manage fairly well.

 

She never married and has no children,

but her “faux” daughter visits daily.

In addition, there is hired help a few hours each day,

but she is still able to manage many needs quite well.

 

The nurse asked about her health history.

“Do you have any diagnosis we should know?”

The patient said she had back pain at times,

“My doctor told me that can come with age”.

 

We could not admit her to hospice.

She was healthy and doing quite well.

We were so amazed and surprised by her

as in two months she will celebrate a birthday.

Whereby she will turn a wonderous age;

                    She will be 101.