FAQs About Infinity Hospice Care
General Information About Hospice Care
Hospice care is defined as a type of care that supports patients with serious, life-limiting medical conditions. Hospice care is focused on providing comfort to patients with pain or other symptoms. Additionally, hospice care expands beyond the need for medical care and equipment management. At Infinity Hospice Care, patients and their families can find comfort through spiritual counseling, grief counseling, volunteer support services, and more. Care is delivered directly to each patient’s home and is individualized to fit the needs of the family (learn about We Honor Veterans).
No—any eligible patient suffering from a life-limiting illness is provided hospice care.
Thanks to the education efforts of hospice programs across the country, more families understand that hospice care can be provided for other conditions (including non-malignant illnesses.) Spreading this information to your family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances can help the medical community dispel this myth.
Note, hospice programs may have their own admission criteria. Infinity Hospice Care is non-discriminatory.
No—hospice care can benefit a variety of people in different stages of their journey, including the elderly and younger-aged patients. Infinity Hospice Care supports all patients, and their families, who are coping with a life-limiting condition, serious illnesses, or an end-stage condition. Typically, patients and their families value all the benefits of hospice care regardless of their length of hospice services provided. Often times, patients and families will say, “We wish we knew about you sooner.”
No—hospice is not exclusively for patients with end-stage conditions. We encourage patients and their families to contact our care team to see if their loved one requires hospice support and is eligible for services. The physical, emotional, and spiritual support we offer to patients can help improve their quality of life as they manage serious conditions that are not end-stage.
Infinity Hospice Care delivers the following services to patients in Maricopa County and parts of Pinal County, Arizona, Clark County, Nevada, and Washoe County, Nevada. When possible, care is provided in the comfort of the patient’s home.
- Skilled medical care through nurses and CNAs (home health aides) with the involvement of the patient’s primary care physician
- Involvement of a medical social worker
- Spiritual counseling and support
- Emotional support and grief counseling
- Bereavement services
- Medical supplies and equipment management
- Additional therapies and services
Both hospice care and palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life for patients with serious conditions; however, there are key differences that define the two.
Palliative care is primarily focused on keeping a patient comfortable when symptoms, such as pain, interfere with the patient’s quality of life. Palliative care is often an essential component of hospice care.
- Typically provided during the initial stages of your loved one’s condition
- Focused on symptom management and comfort
Hospice care focuses on the medical, spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being of a patient. Starting hospice care can positively affect patients with life-limiting illnesses as well as the patient’s family members.
- Provided as your love ones progresses through their illness
- Focuses on medical care as well as spiritual and emotional care
- Includes family grief counseling and bereavement services
Remembering the difference between hospice care and palliative care can be difficult. We encourage you and your family to contact our care team for additional details and eligibility information.
Questions Relating to Your Loved One’s Care
Questions Relating to Your Loved One’s Care
No—Infinity Hospice Care encourages the primary physician to be part of our Interdisciplinary Care Team and continue to see the patient. We supplement rather than replace the primary physician and will even provide transportation to the physician’s office for patients who need appointment assistance.
No—hospice care provides a layer of support to the family member or caregiver. Our skilled medical team, spiritual counselors, grief counselors, and therapists are here to support you and your family during this difficult time. Our priority is to enhance our patient’s quality of life and help them live in dignity and comfort.
No—our Interdisciplinary Team will provide support and assistance to your family, not replace you. With a true managed focus, our hospice care team will try to reunite family members and nurture positive activities together. We are there to support your family unit in the care of the patient.
Starting Hospice Care
No—anyone, including a family member, can reach out to Infinity Hospice Care for help and assistance regarding their loved one’s care. Once contact is made, and a referral is received, hospice personnel will contact the physician’s office to collect relevant medical information and history. Questions about this order may be discussed.
By spreading this education to friends, family members, and colleges, you can help dispel this myth and promote more patients to choose hospice care.
Yes and no. While it is true that all Medicare Certified Hospice Programs follow the same rules to earn their certification, there can be significant differences in admission criteria and follow up care options. At Infinity Hospice Care, we are completely non-discriminatory in the disease process. We’re ready to approve of individual palliative treatment options if the case is eligible.
We include the primary physician in our plan of care, and seek to raise the standard of hospice care throughout our service area.
Medicare
Hospice care is covered 100% by Medicare. Unlike home health, whose services generally decrease over time, hospice care increases as the patient’s condition warrant additional care. This support helps to alleviate the frequent need for unnecessary hospitalizations, which tend to escalate in the last year of life.
Private Insurance
Most private insurance companies have added some form of coverage for palliative end-of-life care, but it’s important to explore these benefits with an insurance specialist at Infinity Hospice Care.
