Hospice Care in the Golden Triangle

Who is Eligible? Sponsored by The SETX Senior Resource Guide

SETXSeniors.com receives a lot of questions from readers asking –  Who is eligible for Southeast Texas hospice care?

Today we’re sharing some information that will help you evaluate that for yourself or a loved one.

Hospice Care has grown significantly over the last two decades. Often when a loved one receives a terminal prognosis from a physician, Hospice care is discussed.

Many Southeast Texas senior citizens are understandably uncertain whether they or a loved one is eligible for Hospice.

Southeast Texas’ own Southeast Texas Senior Resource Guide Magazine provides useful reference guidelines for helping Southeast Texans determine whether or not they are eligible for Hospice care.

Guidelines in determining a Southeast Texas senior’s hospice care eligibility under the Medicare/Medicaid Hospice Benefit are helpful by identifying those persons that may have a life expectancy of approximately six months or less. A patient will need to meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for hospice:

• The patient’s condition is life limiting, and the patient and/or family has been informed of this determination. A “life limiting condition” may be due to a specific diagnosis, a combination of diseases, or there may be no specific diagnosis defined.
• The patient and/or family has elected treatment goals directed toward relief of symptoms rather than cure of the underlying disease.
• The patient has one of the following:

1. Documented clinical progression of a disease, which may include:
2. Progression of the primary disease process as listed in disease-specific criteria and documented by a physician assessment, laboratory, radiology, or other studies.
3. Multiple Emergency Department visits or inpatient hospitalizations over the prior six months.
4. For Homebound patients receiving home health services, nursing assessment may be documented. For patients who do not qualify under 1, 2, or 3, a recent decline in functional status may be documented.
5. Documented recent impairment of nutritional status relating to the terminal process.
6. Unintentional, progressive weight loss of greater than 10% over the prior six months.
7. Serum Albumin less than 2.5 gm/dl may be a helpful prognostic indicator, but should not be used in isolation from other factors in factors I-III above.
8. A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s 

Coverage of Southeast Texas hospice care depends upon a physician’s certification that a person’s life expectancy is six months or less if the illness runs its normal course. Recognizing that determination of life expectancy during the course of a terminal illness is difficult, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has published medical criteria for determining prognosis of certain diagnoses. These hospice eligibility guidelines form a reasonable approach to the determination of a Southeast Texas senior’s life expectancy based on available research.

If a Southeast Texas senior meets the medical criteria, they are, by definition, eligible to receive hospice services. Some Southeast Texas seniors may not meet the criteria, but may still be eligible for hospice care because of other co-morbidities or rapid functional decline. It is the physician’s clinical judgment regarding the normal course of the individual’s illness determines a prognosis of six months or fewer.

If you have further questions about hospice eligibility in Southeast Texas, your Southeast Texas senior care physician  can help you get answers, information, and a better understanding of Hospice care and the eligibility of you or a loved one for Hospice.

Have you been wondering Who is eligible for Southeast Texas hospice care?

If so, we hope today’s Southeast Texas senior health article has been helpful.

If you have additional questions, please do schedule a consultation with your Southeast Texas senior care physician.

Would you like to know more about SETX hospice care?

Stay tuned. SETXSeniors.com provides over 25 articles each year highlighting various aspects of hospice care in The Golden Triangle:

• Why do people choose hospice care? What is it? How does it work?
• Hospice care testimonials from the family members of those who chose hospice in Southeast Texas
• How can I get more information about hospice care options in Southeast Texas?

Feel free to search our SETXSeniors.com  for previous articles on hospice care (or other topics you are interested in) or simply “Like” SETXSeniors.com on Facebook to receive current local Southeast Texas senior health news and information all year long.

Call today and we can assist you in telling your story to our Golden Triangle Seniors (55+).:

• Daryl Fant. Publisher SETXSeniors.com & SETX Senior Resource Guide. Host SETX Senior Expo Series.
• (512) 567-8068
• For Texas senior marketing, e-mail: SETXAdvertising@gmail.com

With a little help, you can effectively deliver your marketing message to seniors in the Golden Triangle and East Texas.

SETX Seniors publishes over 400 articles each year for seniors.

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