Patient & Family Resources
Guides & Resources
Easing eldercare costs: Understanding the Medicare Hospice Benefits
The financial burden of eldercare can impede the essential care and comfort needed by individuals with life-limiting illnesses, affecting both patients and their loved ones. This Medicare guide can be a valuable resource for understanding how Medicare Hospice Benefits can alleviate financial burdens and bring the focus back to honoring life's moments together.
Sharing life's moments with loved ones: CaringBridge
CaringBridge is a free, nonprofit health platform that provides support to family caregivers as they care for a loved one through hospice. To help families stay in touch during this difficult time, CaringBridge allows you to create a community of your choice to connect with and share important moments.
Knowing The Benefits
Hospice care is frequently misunderstood, leading to misconceptions about its goals and benefits. Beginning hospice early can provide significant advantages, such as effective symptom management, relief from pain, improved quality of life, and encompassing support for both patients and their families.
BENEFIT:
Hospice care aims to improve quality of life and comfort for patients.
Hospice care focuses on keeping patients comfortable by offering all forms of comfort for physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs to patients and their families.
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BENEFIT:
Hospice provides care and comfort wherever you call home.
Hospice care ensures that patients can stay where they feel at home. Hospice helps create a safe and comfortable environment managing services such as medical equipment, medications and other supplies.
BENEFIT:
Hospice services are the most beneficial when they are started as early as possible.
Hospice is not just for those who only have days to live. Hospice care provides individualized care for those who have a life-limiting diagnosis with a life expectancy of six months, or less.
BENEFIT:
Hospice care is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Hospice care focuses on keeping patients comfortable by offering all forms of comfort for physical, psychosocial, and
spiritual needs to patients and their families.
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BENEFIT:
Choosing hospice care can mean avoiding unwanted hospitalizations and treatments.
With the high-quality coordination of care by the hospice care team leads to successfully managing pain and maintaining comfort at home.​​
BENEFIT:
Choosing hospice care can alleviate the burden of out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Hospice costs typically 100% covered by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurances.
BENEFIT:
Hospice respects patient’s goals and wishes.
The hospice care plan is built around what matters most to each patient. The goal of the entire hospice team is to support the wishes of the patient while helping them achieve their goals of care.
BENEFIT:
Hospice care benefits are extended to include family and caregivers.
Hospice provides education, guidance and a listening ear to help loved ones with the difficult work of caregiving. The hospice care team including volunteers may lend a hand so the caregiver can focus on caregiving.
​Video Resources
Our team shares insights and guidance to help you understand the various aspects of hospice care and the support that can be provided.
Shirley Murray, Prairie Grace Hospice Social Worker, shares how Prairie Grace Hospice aims to support patients and families during end-of-life care.