End-of-life care is something no one likes to talk about, let alone think about. But if your senior loved one needs hospice care, you want care that provides them with dignity and comfort. Hospice care is a profoundly compassionate service that focuses on offering physical, emotional, and even spiritual support not only to loved ones in their final days, but also to their families. Instead of trying to cure or treat an illness, hospice care focuses on managing pain and symptoms to make sure your loved one ends their life in as much peace and comfort as is possible. This service can provide an incredible amount of relief and reassurance for everyone involved, and greatly improve the quality of life for your loved one’s final chapter.
Stellar Living’s new venture comes in the form of Ovation Hospice, a service that puts compassionate care and people first. Ovation Hospice care is usually fully funded by Medicare, which eases the financial burden on caregivers and family members and allows you to focus on connection and time with your loved ones. However, being fully funded by Medicare can sometimes mean substandard care in pursuit of a company’s “bottom line.” Ovation wants to change this, and provide top-tier care without creating financial hardship.
End-of-life care is difficult enough. Let Ovation make it a little easier. In this post, you’ll learn more about hospice care and what Ovation is doing to help.
What Is Hospice Care?
Hospice care is a type of care designed for people in the end stages of a terminal illness. The focus is on quality of life and comfort for both the patient and their loved ones. Hospice emphasizes palliative care, which aims to provide relief from the physical symptoms and emotional stress of serious illness. It minimizes suffering and ensures your loved one’s final days are as pain-free and pleasant as possible. Hospice care is also a multi-pronged approach and includes a team of providers. To provide emotional, physical, psychological, and spiritual support, hospice can include the following team members:
- Doctors and nurses
- Hospice aids
- Medical directors
- Social workers
- Counselors
- Home health aids
- Chaplains
- Trained volunteers
At Ovation Hospice, you’ll have a dedicated nurse, aid, and volunteer team that will work with you personally. They’ll create a custom care plan that includes medications, therapies, and more to keep your loved one comfortable. You will also have a hospice social worker to help you with all the non-medical aspects of end-of-life care, including living wills, practical guidance, and community connection. Additionally, a chaplain is available to provide spiritual counseling and guidance, as well as grief support.
When and Why Is Hospice Care Necessary?
Hospice care becomes necessary when a terminal illness is no longer treatable, or when a person chooses to stop treatment of a terminal illness. Officially, qualifying for hospice care requires a doctor to certify that a patient is not expected to live longer than 6 months. You should consider hospice care if you or a loved one has received a diagnosis that is expected to be incurable and end in death. Some examples of health conditions that may result in hospice care include:
- Late-stage Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia. Unfortunately, dementia is a terminal condition that eventually leads to death. You can live for years, even decades, with dementia, but it is progressive and at this time is incurable.
- Heart disease. While many types and stages of heart disease can be treated, it is the leading cause of death for people over the age of 65 and often requires hospice care.
- Cancer. Cancer is the second leading cause of death for seniors, and the rate of cancer diagnosis increases with age.
- COPD or lower respiratory disease.
- Cerebrovascular disease, like a stroke.
Please note that none of these conditions is a “death sentence.” Medical science is advancing every day, and rates of death even with these conditions have dropped 40% in the last 20 years (source). However, a diagnosis of one of these or another terminal illness may eventually require hospice care. Being prepared for the possibility of hospice care can make this transition emotionally, physically, and financially easier.
How Do I Pay for Hospice Care?
Most people use Medicare to pay for hospice. Medicare covers hospice care if you meet the following qualifications:
- A hospice doctor and regular doctor verify that you are terminally ill, with a life expectancy of less than 6 months.
- You accept palliative care, rather than care that is looking for a cure for your illness.
- You sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of other treatments for your illness.
If these conditions are met, Medicare will cover all hospice care costs indefinitely. However, Medicare may not cover room and board at a senior living community. Medicare also won’t cover hospital costs, emergency room costs, or ambulance costs unless they are arranged by your hospice care team.
Veterans’ Affairs may also pay for hospice care if you have a VA healthcare plan or are a veteran. Private health insurance and long-term care insurance may also pay for hospice costs.
Ovation Hospice: Our Mission
Ovation Hospice exists to help. The burden of everything that must be done when a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness can be incredibly difficult to bear, on top of the grief and pain of receiving this unfortunate news. Ovation Hospice provides you with a team that can ease this burden and give you all the necessary resources to navigate the difficult days ahead with as much grace and peace as possible. You and your loved one will receive medical support, pain management, emotional support, social planning, spiritual care, bereavement services, and more. With this assistance, your loved one’s final chapter can be one of meaningful connection and love.
Ovation Hospice: Locations
Ovation Hospice currently has three locations, in Denver, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City. Staff are ready to answer any questions you may have, and guide you through this process.
Death isn’t something anyone wants to think about. But empathetic hospice care can be the difference between stressful and depressing days, and a joyful celebration of life and the remaining time your loved one has. Ovation Hospice wants to provide the best care, by the best people, every step of the way. This isn’t the time for sales pitches. Let Ovation Hospice help you through.
