Myths & Facts About Hospice Care

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the anticipated closure of San Diego Hospice, all patient and family care services are no longer available. Please contact your primary care physician or health care provider regarding care options that are available in the community.

For your information, the following "Myths and Facts" about hospice care is a helpful tool for those interested in learning more about hospice care as a vital health care resource.

Below are some of the common "Myths and Facts" about hospice care:

MYTH
Medicare provides only six months of hospice care, so enrollment should be delayed as long as possible.
FACT
Medicare law does not time-limit the hospice benefit. Patients have access to the Medicare Hospice Benefit as long as the patient's physician and the hospice medical director certify that the patient's illness is still considered "terminal," with an estimated life-expectancy of six months or less and decline is apparent.

MYTH
All hospice care is the same.
FACT
Even in the same community, hospice programs can differ in the services and/or treatments that are offered to patients and their family members. There are more than 20 different hospice programs in San Diego County, all independent of each other, and in most cases, individuals can choose which hospice program to receive services from.

MYTH
You can’t keep your own doctor on hospice.
FACT
Patients can keep their primary physician while they are receiving hospice care. Most hospices establish working relationships with a wide base of referring physicians so that patients can keep their own doctors on admission to hospice care.

MYTH
Hospice is only useful for heavy-duty pain medications.
FACT
Hospice care is designed to provide not only medical care but also social, psychological, and spiritual support delivered by an interdisciplinary hospice team that may include a nurse, social worker, chaplain, home health aide, and other professionals and trained volunteers.

MYTH
Hospice means giving up hope.
FACT
Hospice can help redefine hope for patients and their loved ones. Hospice workers recognize the importance of hope as a powerful, ever-changing force that continues throughout the time of living and process of dying. Hospice offers hope that a secure, familiar care setting can be enjoyed. Hospice offers hope for freedom from fears of isolation, abandonment, loneliness, loss of control and physical pain, and hope that the family will be nurtured and supported, even after the death of the patient, through bereavement services.

MYTH
Hospice is only for cancer patients.
FACT
Hospice care is available to individuals with advanced illnesses including end-stage heart and lung disease, cancer, ALS, Alzheimer’s, AIDS, severe birth defects and other terminal illnesses. Hospice care also supports the patient's family members and loved ones of all ages during the illness and offers extensive bereavement support after the death.

MYTH
Hospice is a place, so you must leave home to receive hospice care.
FACT
Hospice is a philosophy of care for people who are living with an advanced or life-limiting illness. Care is provided in the patient's home or wherever the patient resides, including in residential, skilled nursing, and assisted living facilities.

MYTH
Hospice is expensive.
FACT
Hospice care is a cost-effective and valuable healthcare resource for individuals living with a life-limiting illness. Most insurance providers, including Medicare and Medi-Cal, cover the cost of hospice care.

For more information about hospice care in San Diego, contact your primary care physician or health care provider.