885,000
terminally ill Americans served by hospice in 2002 reports National
Hospice Organization
ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10, 2003 -- In
2002, more than 885,000 Americans living with a life-limiting illness
were served by the nation's hospice providers, according to data
collected by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization from
their provider members. This represents an increase of almost 15 percent
over the estimated 775,000 patients served in 2001.
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Study shows increasing use of Hospices across
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Rural Hospices receive grants...A
change in the way payments are
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overall projected increase for all
hospice providers is $60
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Families Inform Roadmap to
Improve Care for Dying in Nursing Homes...End-of-life
care in nursing homes often results in
unnecessary suffering due mainly to a lack
of staff time, training and communication,
according to a new AARP study conducted at
Brown Medical School...
Hospice helps, but doctors
often
don’t recommend it soon enough...The
hospice philosophy of end-of-life care
emphasizes the right to die with dignity and
without pain. The role of hospice is to
provide care to the dying and support for
their families and caregivers.
The median, or average, length of stay
in 2002 also rose to 26 days, up from 20.5 days in 2001; the mean rose
from 48 to 51 days.
This increase reflects a growing
understanding of the significant role hospice care plays for Americans
making choices about their care at the end of life.
"Research has consistently shown
that almost 80 percent of Americans -- if facing a life-limiting illness
-- would prefer to remain in their homes, free of pain, surrounding by
family and loved ones," commented J. Donald Schumacher, Psy.D.,
president and CEO of NHPCO. "Hospice makes this happen. It's
important that people understand that hospice focuses on living fully up
until the end of life."
Hospice is a philosophy of care that
utilizes an interdisciplinary team of medical professionals and trained
volunteers to provide comprehensive care to patients and families.
Hospice is a covered benefit under Medicare, Medicaid, and most private
insurance plans.
In spite of these promising
statistics, much remains to be done. "We estimate that for every
patient served, there is another patient who would benefit from hospice
but did not receive this special care," Schumacher remarked.
NHPCO reports that confusion
surrounding eligibility and length of service is improving but more
education is needed. Medicare requires that a physician provide a
prognosis of six months or less in order for a patient to be admitted to
hospice. However, hospice services are not limited to six months -- a
common misunderstanding. If the patient meets eligibility requirements,
hospice services are available for as long as necessary.
Another misconception is that hospice
serves only aging cancer patients. Last year, hospice patients with
cancer diagnoses accounted for approximately 51 percent of patients.
Hospice services benefit people at any age and with any life-limiting
disease.
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