Former President Jimmy Carter survived brain cancer and faced a number of health scares in recent years. Now he is receiving hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia.
That has prompted a lot of questions, including exactly what is hospice care.
There are many misconceptions about hospice care, among the most common: what it is and is not.
It is an approach to medical care and not a specific place.
Many patients opt to receive hospice care in their homes, like the former president.
Hospice is specifically for people near the end of their lives. It does not imply death is imminent.
It focuses on maximizing comfort and support for the patient and their family. That includes reducing physical pain and tending to the psychological, emotional and spiritual needs of all involved.
Generally, to qualify for hospice care, the patient must have an incurable medical condition with an anticipated life expectancy of fewer than six months.
Those types of conditions can include but aren’t limited to end-stage cancer, advanced dementia and heart failure.
Another misconception is that hospice care is for people who are “giving up on medical care.”
The primary aim is to manage the patient’s symptoms so the patient’s final days can be lived with dignity.
Patients typically still receive medicine to help with their symptoms and alleviate pain.
They can also leave hospice at any point and resume more active care.
Most hospice patients are also eligible for Medicare, which provides for hospice care through Medicare Hospital Benefit.
Medicaid also pays for hospice care in many states, and many private insurers will cover it. For patients who don’t have insurance, there are some community programs that offer sliding scale coverage or free care.