What is Hospice?
For more than 25 years Beloit Regional Hospice has dedicated itself to a special way of providing comfort and quality of life for patients when prolongation of life is no longer the goal. Emphasis is placed on the alleviation of pain and other symptoms that include the physical, social, and spiritual needs of the dying person as well as the social and spiritual needs of the family and others caring for the patient. Hospice care involves a team-oriented approach, which includes physicians, nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy and volunteers who work together to plan and coordinate care.
Beloit Regional Hospice staff and volunteers spend each and every day committed to the mission of the organization: To help make each moment of remaining life as full and comfortable as possible. Family and friends provide care in the patient’s home with the support of members of the BRH team. Staff members are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What is the hospice philosophy of care?
The hospice philosophy emphasizes
- quality of life
- easing pain
- relieving distressing symptoms
Seeking hospice services does not mean that nothing more can be done, or that there is no hope for the patient. There is simply a shift in the focus of care. The hope is that the patient will be able to enjoy symptom and pain free days, remain as independent as possible for as long as possible, and be able to engage in the activities that he or she values most.
Who is eligible for hospice care?
Hospice services are available to any person whose illness has advanced to a point where he or she is no longer seeking life-prolonging care, but rather is seeking comfort and quality of life.
Is hospice only for cancer?
Hospice is appropriate for individuals of all ages with any advanced disease, including, but not limited to, cancer, heart disease, pulmonary disease, AIDS, Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias. To be eligible, the patient’s physician must determine a prognosis, or life expectancy, of six months or less if the disease follows its normal and expected course.
What geographic area does Beloit Regional Hospice serve?
Beloit Regional Hospice is licensed to care for residents in the counties of Rock, Green and Walworth in Wisconsin, as well as residents of Winnebago and Boone counties in Illinois.
What are the services offered by Beloit Regional Hospice?
Each patient under the care of Beloit Regional Hospice is offered the entire scope of services. This includes interdisciplinary staffing (physicians, nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy and volunteers), all medications related to the management of the terminal disease, and all durable medical equipment and supplies necessary to achieve and maintain the patient’s comfort and safety at home.
How is hospice paid for?
Above all, Beloit Regional Hospice provides care to all patients who meet the admission criteria and desire hospice services, regardless of their ability to pay.
- Medicare and Medicaid cover 100% of the costs associated with a patient’s hospice care.
- For patients not eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, and who have a private health insurer, the Beloit Regional Hospice business office will contact the insurer on the patient’s behalf to determine coverage for hospice services. This can be done prior to hospice admission, if desired.
- If there are any out of pocket costs associated with private insurance, such as deductibles, co-payments or co-insurance, Beloit Regional Hospice will utilize a sliding fee scale to determine any fees if the patient is unable to pay for the full cost of his or her care.
