Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

The information provided below is meant to answer the most common questions we are asked. Please read through this information if you have any concerns. If you have further questions or need to request more information, please browse through our Resources and Links or Contact Us.

What is Hospice Care?
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What Makes Hospice Special?
Hospice concentrates on care - not cure. The patient's physical and emotional comfort is the most important goal of the hospice team. Patients are encouraged to maintain their quality of life, and to be as active and to do as much as possible for themselves, for as long as they are able.

Hospice treats the whole family. When someone has a terminal illness, his or her loved ones feel pain too. Hospice can provide relief to exhausted and emotionally stressed caregivers.
Whenever possible, care is provided in the comfortable surroundings of home. Being at home with the people one cherishes is truly the best gift you can give to a loved one.
Hospice staff visit regularly and are accessible to answer questions and provide support.
Hospice helps prepare family and friends for the loss of a loved one, and helps them deal with their grief through counseling and bereavement support groups.

10 Common Myths of Hospice

Hospice is Only for People with Cancer.
Nationwide greater than one-fifth of all hospice patients have a diagnosis other than cancer. United Hospice also serves patients and their families that are coping with the end-stages of chronic diseases, like emphysema, Alzheimer's, HIV/AIDS, or cardiovascular and neuromuscular diseases.
Hospice Care is Expensive.
Most people who use hospice care are over age 65 and are entitled to the Medicare Hospice Benefit. This benefit covers virtually all hospice services and requires little, if any, out-of-pocket costs. This means that there are no financial burdens incurred by the family, in sharp contrast to the huge financial expenses at the dnf of life which are incurred when hospice is not used. Hospice services are also provided by Medicaid and most insurance companies. However, United Hospice will provide service regardless of the patient's ability to pay.
Hospice is Only for Dying People.
As a family-centered concept of care, United Hospice focuses as much on the grieving family as on the dying patient. We offer individual and family counseling for thirteen months following the death of the patient. United Hospice also offers grief services to the community at large, serving schools, churches and the workplace.
Hospice Can Only Help When the Family Members are Available to Provide Care.
United Hospice recognizes that terminally ill patients may live alone, or with family members who are unable to provide care. Therefore, United Hospice will make every effort to coordinate with community resources to make home care possible. Or, we will provide assistance in finding an alternative location where the patient can safely receive care.
Hospice is for People Who Don't Need a High Level of Care.
United Hospice is both Medicare and Medicaid certified, which requires that we must employ experienced medical and nursing personnel with skills in symptom control. United Hospice offers state-of-the-art palliative care, using advanced technologies to prevent or alleviate distressing symptoms.
Hospice is for People Who Can Accept Death.
While those affected by terminal illness struggle to come to terms with death, United Hospice will gently help them find their way at their own speed. We welcome inquiries from families who are unsure about their needs and preferences. The United Hospice staff is readily available to discuss all options and to facilitate family decisions.
Hospice Patients Require a "Do Not Resuscitate" Status Prior to Admission.
United Hospice acknowledges and respects the end-of-life choices of its patients and their families. Therefore, United Hospice does not require a "Do Not Resuscitate" status for admission. However, patients and their caregivers are provided with information and counseling so they can make informed decisions regarding end-of-life issues.
Hospice Patients Cannot Live Longer than Six Months.
Once an individual becomes a United Hospice patient, he or she continues to receive services for as long as the services are required. Services are not discontinued unless they are no longer necessary or the patient chooses to have them discontinued.
Hospice is for When There is No Hope.
When death is in sight, there are two options: submit without hope or live fully as ever until the end. The gift of United Hospice is its capacity to help families see how much can be shared at the end of life through personal and spiritual connections often left behind. It is no wonder that so many family members can look back upon their United Hospice experience with gratitude, and with the knowledge that everything possible was done toward a peaceful death.
Hospice Patients are not Permitted to be Hospitalized.
All United Hospice patients with conditions requiring inpatient care, whether hospice-related or not, will have access to inpatient care at one of our contracted facilities. United Hospice will continue to provide service to the patient and family during the hospitalization.

How Do I Live with a Life-Limiting Illness?
Unfortunately, life does not come with an instruction manual. So when we are given the news that a terminal illness has unexpectedly entered our lives, we are unsure of how we are supposed to act, feel, and most importantly, live. Below is some advice to help make each day as meaningful and satisfying as possible.

Talk about the illness. If it is cancer, call it cancer. You cannot make life normal again by trying to hide what is wrong.
Consider each day as another day of life - a gift to be enjoyed as fully as possible.
Learn to live with your illness, instead of considering yourself dying from it. We are all dying in some manner.
Realize that life is never going to be perfect. It wasn't before and it won't be now.
Pray if you wish and if it's appropriate for you.
Put your friends and relatives at ease. If you don't want pity, don't ask for it.
Make all practical arrangements for your funeral, will, etc. Make certain your family understands them.
Accept death as a part of life.
Set new goals. Realize your limitations. Sometimes the simple things in life become the most enjoyable.
Discuss your problems and concerns with your family, including your children, if possible. After all, your problems affect them, too.

How Do I Help Friends and Families Facing a Serious Illness?
When someone we know is facing a serious illness, we often feel helpless. Here are some practical ideas for helping an individual who is seriously ill, as well as that individual's family.

Don't avoid the individual. Be the friend you've always been.
Include your friend in decisions. Don't deny him or her a chance to make decisions in his or her life.
Don't always feel that you have to talk. You can sit quietly together, offering a simple squeeze of the hand, which says you care.
Call before you visit. If you friend is not up to having company, he or she will be honest with you.
Take your friend out for a pleasure trip, but know his or her limitations.
Water your friend's flowers.
Offer to stay with your friend to give his or her loved ones a break.
Bring your friend a book of thoughts, taped music, a poster, or cookies to share with his or her family.
Offer transportation for a doctor's appointment, shopping, or family needs.
Bring magazines, photos, newspapers, and verbal reports to keep your friend from feeling the world is passing him or her by.
Help out with some of the cleaning.
Just send a card to say, "I care."
Don't be afraid to share his or her emotions, laughter, sorrow, and fears.
Help celebrate his or her life by decorating the hospital room or home.