Contributed by: Sandra Adams, CFP®
I watched recently as a good friend of mine struggled to arrange care for her mother at the end of her life. Her mother struggled with dementia, and after a fall, her health took a severe turn for the worse. It suddenly became clear that she was not going to recover. My friend wanted a quality and pain-free remainder of life for her mother, so she decided to call in Hospice care. Hospice care is a service for people with serious illnesses who choose not to get (or continue) treatment to cure or control their illness. Hospice care focuses on the care, comfort, and quality of life of a person with a serious illness approaching the end of life. It often also includes emotional and spiritual support for both the patient and their loved ones.
Many people hear about Hospice, but if you have never had experience with it, you may have some questions. You might be wondering:
When are you eligible for Hospice Care? Anyone with a serious illness who physicians think have less than six months to live usually qualifies for Hospice Care. For Medicare to pay for Hospice Care, patients must stop aggressive medical treatment intended to cure or control their illness.
When is the right time to start Hospice Care? This is a decision you make with your doctor about your illness and how it is progressing. Still, it is good to remember that the earlier you start Hospice services, the longer they may have to provide meaningful care, and the longer you may have to spend quality time with your loved ones.
Where does Hospice Care take place? It can take place in several settings, including your home, assisted living, nursing home, or hospital.
What services does Hospice provide? Depending on the needs of the patient and family and the patient's end-of-life wishes, Hospice can provide a wide range of services. Services can include emotional and spiritual support for the patient and the family, and relief of symptoms and pain (pain management, therapy services, and many more) personalized to the patient and family.
Before I worked for The Center, I worked for a Hospice. I regularly saw the value of the services provided both for the patients and the families when the end of life was certain. Several of my family members have also used Hospice services, and I don't know how our family would have dealt with the end of their lives without the empathy and compassion of the nurses, doctors, and social workers. If you or someone you know is facing the end of life and prefers to face it with pain management and a quality of life focus, search for a Hospice near you at www.mihospice.org if you are in Michigan or www.nationalhospicelocator.com if you are in other states. If you have other aging planning questions or issues that we can help with, don't hesitate to contact me at Sandy.Adams@CenterFinPlan.com
Sandra Adams, CFP®, is a Partner and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional at Center for Financial Planning, Inc.® and holds a CeFT™ designation. She specializes in Elder Care Financial Planning and serves as a trusted source for national publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Research Magazine, and Journal of Financial Planning.
The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete, it is not a statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision, and it does not constitute a recommendation. Any opinions are those of the author and not necessarily those of Raymond James.