Levels of Care | Arlington TX Hospice Care Center
Three levels of hospice care have been defined by Medicare and Medicaid, based on a patient's medical necessity. One additional level of care is based upon a home caregiver's needs. The following brief descriptions are meant to serve only as introductions to each level of care. If you have further questions and wish to contact us, just call (817) 265-0151 Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Or, if you wish, click on the "Contact" tab at the top of this page or the bold "Click here" below and send us an email. Our team welcomes the opportunity to explain care options in greater detail.
Routine Home Care
The vast majority of the care we provide is known as Routine Home Care. This is the care our teams provide every day and is the care described throughout this website and in almost all literature on the subject of hospice. Such care is provided by your Freedom Hospice Team at the patient’s residence, whether that be a private home or a healthcare facility, according to your hospice plan of care. Most Routine Home Care is provided during daytime hours, however, hospice care is a 24/7 service and therefore on-call services are provided whenever necessary.
Continuous Home Care
In the event that one of our patients develops physical or emotional symptoms that can't be best managed with Routine Home Care, Continuous Home Care may be prescribed. "Continuous Care" as it is best known, delivers around-the-clock care in the patient’s residence, whether that be a private home or a healthcare facility. A nurse, aided by other disciplines as necessary, will remain with the patient 24 hours a day to assess the patient's condition, administer medications and provide support until this level of care is no longer a necessity. Continuous Care generally applies to short-term crisis management and is therefore re-evaluated every 24 hours by our team and discussed with the patient and family.
General Inpatient Care
In the event that a patient has symptoms that cannot be treated at their residence, General Inpatient Care may be prescribed. Symptoms requiring "Inpatient Care" as it is best known, are frequently similar to or more severe than those requiring Continuous Care, or the setting of care may be less accommodating due to room restrictions, location, patient immobility, etc. Because Inpatient Care is provided in a dedicated medical facility, hospice trained nurses are available around the clock to assess condition, administer medications and provide support until this level of care is no longer a necessity. As with Continuous Care, Inpatient Care generally applies to short-term events and is therefore re-evaluated every 24 hours by our team and discussed with the patient and family.
Respite Care
Home caregivers assume a tremendous physical and emotional burden when caring for a loved one. Respite Care is intended to give such caregivers a break. In any instance where a patient does not meet criteria for Continuous Care or Inpatient Care, but the home caregivers are exhausted or overwhelmed and need relief, respite care may be prescribed. In such cases a patient will typically be temporarily admitted to an inpatient environment, such as a nursing care facility, to provide home caregivers much needed relief. Medicare reimbursement for Respite Care is limited to five consecutive days at a time.
To learn more about Freedom Hospice call (817) 265-0151 Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Or, if you wish, click on the "Contact" tab at the top of this page or the bold "Click here" below and send us an email. We're here to help.
