F.A.Qs
GENERAL FAQs
What does the first visit look like?
At the start of care, the nurse will review your history and complete an assessment. The nurse will collaborate with a physician to see if you are eligible to be admitted into the program. The nurse will explain the services provided based on your plan of care and you will have to sign a consent form. You may want to have your caregiver or family member/advocate present during this visit.
How much does care cost?
We always have helpful staff on hand to go over the prices of the different services we offer. Please give us a call, and we would be pleased to get you a cost estimate and assessment without any commitment. After talking about your loved one's unique needs and preferences, we will send you a personalized care quotation if you believe you might need a 24-hour care program. We offer a service guarantee with every treatment. You are welcome to get in touch with us personally at (281) 570 4072 if you believe that this promise is not being met at any point.
Must I commit for a set amount of time?
There are no locked-in agreements, and care can be scheduled for as little as one visit or as frequently as necessary.
How often will my care team visit me?
At the start of care, your case manager will assess your clinical situation and develop an individualized care plan including the frequency of visits.
What sort of people do your team visit?
Every one of our customers is a unique person with a unique tale to tell. Among them are those who:
Despite any health issues, take pleasure in being in their own house (whether permanent or temporary)
Respect discrete and conscientious employees
Value their own routine
Some of our clients might require a visiting Registered Nurse because they have a wound or a fractured bone. Others may simply be slowing down a bit and require assistance with household chores, commuting, and other tasks while they remain living at home. Others may be dealing with terminal illness.
What level of care—or lack thereof—can I set up?
We are experts at offering both more informal care and round-the-clock assistance to those with complex requirements.
What is a plan of care?
A plan of care directs the type of services and treatments you will receive. Your doctor will decide:
The type of services needed
The type of health care professional providing your services
How often you will need the services
The type of home medical equipment you will need
The type of food you may need
The results your doctor expects from the therapy
The home health agency staff provides care according to your authorized plan of care. We encourage the patient and caregivers to participate in the treatment plan as it relates to goal planning.
HOME HEALTH FAQs
What is Home Health Care?
Home Health Care is health services provided in the privacy of the home to assist patients and caregivers with the skills necessary to manage conditions due to a current illness, injury or surgery. Devinity Hospice is a dedicated team of caring healthcare professionals, who are committed to help you during your healthcare recovery.
Our goal is to promote well-being and assist patients and caregivers to regain independence. We want you and your family to be able to return to your normal lifestyle. This is accomplished by an individualized, patient-centered Plan of Care created with you and your family under the supervision and guidance of your physician and the Devinity Hospice team.
Your health care team will smooth the transition from any recent medical facility stay to home or help you learn to manage your illness or medical condition at home, and assist you to maintain your highest level of ability and health for your normal lifestyle.
Our goal is to promote well-being and assist patients and caregivers to regain independence. We want you and your family to be able to return to your normal lifestyle. This is accomplished by an individualized, patient-centered Plan of Care created with you and your family under the supervision and guidance of your physician and the Devinity Hospice team.
Your health care team will smooth the transition from any recent medical facility stay to home or help you learn to manage your illness or medical condition at home, and assist you to maintain your highest level of ability and health for your normal lifestyle.
What is Homebound?
Most insurance companies require homebound status. Homebound means that because of an illness or injury, it is very difficult for you to leave home except for infrequent, short periods of time. This may mean that you need someone else to assist you to leave home or you need the use of crutches, cane, walker, or wheelchair.
You may also be considered homebound if your doctor determines that leaving home is medically contraindicated (ill advised). (For example: after surgery) You can leave as often as you need for medical treatment; such as visits with your physician, dentist, etc. It is also allowed for the occasional trip to the barber/beauty salon, to attend church, or for special family events, like a wedding.
You may also be considered homebound if your doctor determines that leaving home is medically contraindicated (ill advised). (For example: after surgery) You can leave as often as you need for medical treatment; such as visits with your physician, dentist, etc. It is also allowed for the occasional trip to the barber/beauty salon, to attend church, or for special family events, like a wedding.
Who is Eligible?
To qualify for home health benefits, you must be under the care of a physician. Your physician must certify that:
You need medical care at home
You need skilled care from nursing or physical, occupational, or speech therapy
You are Homebound
What Services are provided by the Home Health Professional?
Your dedicated Home Health Professional provides the following services:
Short term personal care with direct oversight by the Registered Nurse
Assist with bathing and skin care
Assist with Grooming needs such as shaving, oral care, and nail care
Assistance with dressing
Assistance with ambulation, transferring, and bed positioning
Light meal preparation
May assist with medication reminders
Provide vital signs and coordinates with the Registered Nurse
What’s the difference between home health care and hospice care?
Home Healthcare is medical attention provided by skilled professionals that takes place in the comfort and convenience of your own home. The care comes to you rather than you having to travel to a hospital or clinic. Home healthcare is coordinated by a licensed, qualified organization and may involve the services of nurses, therapists, clinicians and sometimes even social workers providing non-medical support. It is a service ordered by a physician for patients who may be recovering from a surgery, illness or injury or for those facing chronic illness.
Hospice care is a concept of care designed to help terminally ill patients live life fully, with dignity, and to help their families cope after the death of their loved one. Hospice care is intended to ease pain and suffering, neither prolonging life nor hastening death. Hospice care provides a team approach to meet physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs during the end stage of life. This is provided in the comfort of a home setting or facility setting, giving the individual and their family active involvement of their care.
Hospice care is a concept of care designed to help terminally ill patients live life fully, with dignity, and to help their families cope after the death of their loved one. Hospice care is intended to ease pain and suffering, neither prolonging life nor hastening death. Hospice care provides a team approach to meet physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs during the end stage of life. This is provided in the comfort of a home setting or facility setting, giving the individual and their family active involvement of their care.
PALLIATIVE CARE FAQs
What is Palliative Care?
It is important to understand that palliative care is not hospice care. You may receive palliative care while pursuing a curative treatment. The palliative care team will focus on symptom management, side effects from treatment, fall risk, and monitor medications, while your physician focuses on your treatment. The Devinity Hospice palliative care team will strive to prevent the need for rehospitalizations. The palliative care team will provide care in the comfort of the patient’s residence. Although, palliative care is not hospice care, it allows patients who may soon need hospice care to successfully transition while in their home.
What Diseases/Conditions can I seek Palliative Care for?
Here is a list of diagnoses that a person may seek palliative care treatment for:
Cancer
Heart disease
Stroke
Alzehimers/Dementia
Neurological Disease
What is the difference between palliative and hospice care?
Palliative care is comfort care for anyone diagnosed with a degenerative and/or terminal illness, regardless of what stage of the disease process they are currently at. This comfort care is aimed at improving quality of life post-diagnosis, whether cure is being sought or treatment undertaken. Often, palliative care is provided less frequently than hospice or end-of-life care, but the goal is always patient comfort and choice. Hospice care is essentially under the ‘umbrella’ of palliative care, however with a slightly different goal of comfort and quality of life, for the remainder of life, when treatment is no longer an option or desired. Hospice can begin right at diagnosis, when healthcare providers have no other treatment options to offer, or when the patient decides it is time. Hospice is NOT about dying. Death is a part of life, and hospice helps those with terminal diagnoses remain hopeful and living without fear of what is to come, confident in the comfort care they will receive. Sadly, hospice is often misunderstood as end-of-life care offered in hospital or congregate living facilities, and often mistaken as being only available for patients with cancer, or those in the last few weeks/days of life. At Devinity Hospice, we offer true palliative and hospice care for our clients, in their home, wherever that may be and whenever that may be. We also strive to dispel the myths often associated with hospice and palliative care, and provide education for the community and healthcare providers, and change policy and funding options in the process.
HOSPICE CARE FAQs
What is Hospice Care?
Hospice is a philosophy of high-quality, compassionate care for anyone of any age who has a life-limiting illness and does not want any more curative treatment. It provides dignity, choice and comfort so what remains of life can be lived to its fullest. Hospice care also provides a great deal of support for family members in the form of physical, emotional and spiritual assistance. This is provided in the comfort of a home setting or facility setting, giving the individual and their family active involvement of their care. The Hospice team is comprised of physicians, nurses, social workers, aides, chaplains, bereavement specialists, and volunteers. These disciplines, as well as medication and medical supplies related to an individual’s terminal illness are provided as a comprehensive care approach to their care.
When should Someone be referred to Devinity Hospice for Hospice Care?
How does Hospice Work?
A family member is usually the primary caregiver and assists with making care decisions for the patient. Together the family/primary caregiver and hospice team collaborate to create an overall plan that includes treatment, support, personal care, and a number of specialized services for the patient and their family.
What Services Does Hospice Care Provide?
Hospice care can provide a range of different services depending on your symptoms and end of life care wishes. These services include, but are not limited to, emotional and spiritual support for the person and their family, relief of symptoms and pain, help with advance care planning, therapy services, like physical or occupational therapy, and much more.
When is the right time to involve Hospice?
It is always the family’s choice, but the right time may be when the patient’s prognosis is life-limiting (six months or less) and the patient is ready to stop curative treatment.
How can I get started with Hospice Care?
To begin hospice care with Devinity Hospice please give us a call at XXXXXXX or email XXXXXX. We will work with the patient’s physician to confirm hospice care is appropriate at this time.
Can a hospice patient go to a hospital?
Yes. Patients always have the right to go to the hospital. But there is the possibility it will change the patient’s hospice status. In most cases, an emergency transfer to a hospital is not part of a hospice plan unless it is unrelated to the terminal diagnosis (e.g., a fractured hip, a blood clot). If the patient needs to go to the hospital, the hospice care manager should be immediately notified. The hospice team will work with the family in determining the next steps in the care plan.
Does hospice speed up dying?
Hospice does nothing to speed up or slow down the process of dying. Hospice care just manages symptoms and discomfort for the best quality of life and to minimize suffering.
What kind of pain management can hospice provide?
Devinity Hospice’s nurses have access to and are experts in most state-of-the-art pain and symptom relief. And because an illness also brings on emotional and spiritual pain, we provide counselors and chaplains, as well.
Does Hospice Care mean you will be giving up all other Medical Care?
Our goal at Devinity Hospice is to provide the patient with centered care aimed at holistically improving the quality of the remaining life. Devinity Hospice does this by focusing on pain management and other regimens tailored to the individual.
Once you decide to use hospice care, are you allowed to go back to other health care treatments?
You may always change your mind about receiving hospice care
Is hospice a “place” you go?
At Devinity Hospice we serve our patients wherever they may reside. Hospice is not a place, it is a service. Devinity Hospice will bring that service to you. Devinity Hospice provides hospice services in the comfort and ease of the patient’s home, wherever that may be, including an assisted living facility or nursing home.
Where should Hospice take place?
Hospice can be provided in many settings — a private home, nursing home, assisted living facility, or in a hospital. Many people choose to receive hospice care at home so their friends and family can visit as they wish. Other considerations may include one’s home environment vs. another setting, cost, and stability of the person’s condition. Choosing where to receive hospice care is a personal decision, but it may be helpful to talk with family members, your caregiver, or your doctor about the level of care you need and if it can be provided at home. The costs for receiving hospice care at different locations may differ
Is hospice care for cancer patients only?
At Devinity Hospice, we care for anyone who is diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.
Does the hospice patient need someone with them at all times?
No. It is not required that someone be with the hospice patient at all times during the earlier stages. During the later stages of care however, it is recommended.
In order to care for a hospice patient at home how many family members/friends will be needed to assist?
When our hospice team develops your care plan they will be able to determine if additional home help from family and friends is necessary. If the patient has extra help from family and friends or not, our staff will visit the home regularly and be available to answer questions and provide support.
Is it difficult to care for a dying loved one at home?
Caring for a dying loved one in the home comes with a lot of changes that be challenging. Some have found it stressful or exhausting especially during the night. Our hospice team is available 24/7 for support when needed.
Is hospice care expensive?
Hospice care is usually covered 100% by Medicare, Medicaid and most commercial insurances. There are not any out of pocket costs or co-pays for hospice care.
If the situation improves, can the patient leave hospice?
Of course. If the patient’s condition improves, they can return to their regular medical care. And the patient can return back to hospice, as well, as many times as necessary.
Will medications prevent a hospice patient from being able to talk or know what’s happening?
Not usually. When a patient is in hospice, it is the goal to help them live as actively as possible with little to no pain or discomfort.
Can the patient keep their regular physician when in hospice care?
Yes. Hospice is an extension of the regular medical care. We can also provide a medical doctor, if needed.