Short- and Long-Term Care Planning

Overview

When faced with a life-limiting illness, hospice helps with short and long-term care planning, including options for treatment and comfort at home, extended-care facilities and hospitals. A plan for short and long-term care takes all of your family’s needs into account.

What To Expect

Care Planning That Cares for You

Care planning offers many benefits to enhance your family member’s quality of life when faced with a terminal illness. The plan may include short-term decisions about medicines and support arrangements, and it may include long term planning to look at medical prognosis and prepare for changing needs.

The hospice social worker will help guide decision making on short or long-term plans for care, as well as evaluate the ability to care for your loved one at home. Every two weeks the interdisciplinary team meets to review and discuss the care provided and make any necessary adjustments. A family member is welcome and encouraged to participate in the meeting.

Short-Term and Long-Term Care Planning Services

Short-term and long-term care planning services can be extensive, and all are beneficial. Here are a few that you might consider.

Caregiver handbook

The Caregiver Handbook provides information about different care options and other resources that may be useful to you.

Financial planning

Medical and other costs may be a challenge when someone in the family has a life-limiting illness. Hospice has extensive contacts throughout the community to help plan for the appropriate care. A payment source must be identified for room and board before any transition to a long-term care facility can be considered.

Care at home

Physicians, nurses and other staff members develop a care plan specifically for the patient and caregiver to ensure that all needs are met while receiving hospice care at home. Volunteers are available to provide companionship to the patient and brief respite support for the caregiver.

Hospice care in long-term care facilities

Your loved one’s increasing needs may require a higher level of nursing and personal care than can be adequately provided at home. Through long-term care planning, your hospice team will help anticipate the need for a move to a long-term care facility and make necessary arrangements. They will also coordinate with the nursing staff at the care facility to administer hospice care in addition to the regular care provided by facility staff.

Hospice care in hospitals

Sometimes advancing illness or an acute condition requires that your loved one be admitted to the hospital. Arrangements for your loved one’s transfer will be made by the hospice team to ensure they continue to receive comfort care through visits from the hospice staff. Coordination with the hospital can also be made for a move back home or to long-term care.

Hospice enrollment and help with transitions

A long-term care facility should accept your loved one if a payment source is identified for room and board. The plan will complement any care your family member is currently receiving, through transitions, transportation, medicine and other services.