What You Need To Know
Click Here To Watch Our Video Interview With Dr. Fein Despite the many benefits, home hospice care can sound intimidating. Common misconceptions about the program make referrals and conversations between caregivers, patients and their families challenging. Dr. Edward Fein often refers pulmonary patients to home hospice and can help fellow physicians, practitioners and team members as well as their patients understand the program better. Here are the top three misconceptions Dr. Fein notices when it comes to home hospice care and the facts:- Failure of Care: Occasionally, physicians and patients relate home hospice to failed treatment plans and think it means something went wrong. However, when looking at the natural history of many chronic diseases, there can be a point where hospital admissions and treatments no longer benefit patients as they have reached the end stage. Home hospice allows physicians to continue focusing on giving their patients the highest quality of care and life while the illness runs its course.
- Home Hospice vs. Inpatient Hospice: While both home and inpatient hospice focuses on prioritizing comfort and does not shorten life or hasten death, patients who receive hospice in their home are often healthier than those who receive care through inpatient hospice and can benefit from the program for months on end while preventing hospitalizations and improving functionality in a familiar setting.
- Control of Care: Physicians often believe they will lose control of care if their patient receives home hospice care. This belief is a misconception – the hospice team communicates regularly with primary care physicians. Patients and providers have a larger group of experts and support through hospice, offering more involvement and access to care.