There are 4 well-defined levels of hospice care: Routine Home Care, Continuous Care, Inpatient Care, Respite Care.

Routine Home Care

On-going regular hospice care that is provided under the Hospice Benefit. This is the most common level of hospice care and takes place within the patient’s home whether that is a private home or a long-term facility. Regularly scheduled visits address physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and may include pain management and symptom control and assistance with daily tasks as well as therapeutic services. Routine care can be intermittent based on the patient’s needs. Each routine care plan is tailored specifically for the patient and their family. Many hospice patients spend the entirety of their time in routine care; however, others may need to transition into the other levels of care as their symptoms worsen and condition declines.

Continuous Hospice Care

Sometimes referred to as “crisis care”, Continuous care is provided during a period of crisis when a change in the patient’s condition requires the immediate intervention of skilled services by a nurse. At this time, Del Corazon Hospice may provide a minimum of 8 hours of skilled nursing care over a 24-hour period of time. Continuous Care is a short-term solution to a critical need, and it is re-evaluated every 24 hours.

Inpatient Hospice Care

When a patient’s needs exceed the level of care they are able to receive at home, they may be admitted to a hospital, hospice care center, or a skilled nursing facility to receive Inpatient Care. Health care professionals are available to attend to the patient’s needs at all times in this setting. The goal is to control severe pain and stabilize symptoms in hopes that the patient can return home. A patient can be admitted to a hospital for hospice Inpatient Care for a very limited time, usually 3 to 5 days as needed to stabilize uncontrollable pain or other symptoms.

Respite Care

Designed to relieve family caregivers providing care for a loved one who require on-going care. When a caregiver needs an occasional break from caregiving, they can request Respite Care for up to 5 consecutive days per Benefit Period. Our hospice patient will be transferred into an authorized contracted inpatient facility (usually a nursing home) for Respite Care.