Hospice Nurse

The hospice nurse is a crucial part of the Amedisys hospice care team. The hospice team takes compassionate care of patients diagnosed with a terminal illness with six months or less to live. Hospice nurses are skilled registered and licensed practical nurses who provide empathetic care for the final stages of the patients’ life. The main goal of hospice care is to focus on comfort and quality of life.

What is a hospice nurse?

A hospice nurse is a trained registered or licensed practical nurse trained to care for terminally ill patients. They work with patients, family members and other healthcare staff to ensure the patient has improved quality of life and their last days are as painless and comfortable as possible.

Each patient has an individualized care plan based on the patient’s unique physical, psychosocial, emotional and spiritual needs.

What does a hospice nurse do?

Hospice nurses provide a variety of roles related to patient care and provide support to families, including:

Day in the Life of a Hospice Nurse

The day-to-day work of a hospice nurse is focused on the physical, psychosocial, emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their families. They work as educators when going over care instructions and new medications that patients may be unfamiliar with or scared to use. Hospice nurses visit patients on an intermittent basis based on patient and caregiver needs. As needs change, the patient’s plan of care will be updated to reflect the changing needs of the patient and caregiver. This may mean changing the visit schedule or frequency of visits to meet the needs.

For example, Tina has been a hospice nurse with Amedisys for five years. Her typical day is spent traveling to patients’ homes, nursing homes and sometimes hospitals to support her patients with a terminal illness. She provides end-of-life care and symptom management in the final weeks and days of their life and supports families by allowing patients to be comfortable before they pass. The most challenging part of her job is the grief aspect but there is no other job that she would rather have and wishes she would've found a career in hospice sooner.

Where do hospice nurses work?

Hospice nurses visit patients wherever they call home. The most common places to receive care include:

How do the duties of a hospice nurse differ from other nurses?

One of the main roles of a hospice nurse is to provide compassionate care and help ensure the patient is free from any avoidable pain and suffering. The goal of a traditional nurse in a hospital setting is to help heal patients, whereas a hospice nurse ensures the terminally ill patients are as comfortable as possible once the patient has stopped seeking curative treatment.

Hospice nurses are critical in managing pain and symptoms, offering support, and educating patient and caregivers on providing care.

Hospice nurses also focus on the psychosocial, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and their loved ones in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team which includes physicians, social workers, chaplains and bereavement support.

Hospice Nursing Care Cost

How is hospice paid for? Hospice care costs are covered by the Medicare hospice benefit, Medicaid and most private insurance plans, with options for those who don’t have insurance.

Paying for Hospice with Medicare

Medicare covers hospice costs if the patient meets the following criteria:

• Patient has Medicare Part A
• Diagnosed with a terminal illness
• Certified by the hospice physician and their primary care physician as having six months or less to live if the disease takes its normal course
• Chooses to stop treatment to try to cure their illness, or efforts to cure their illness aren’t working
• Receives care from a Medicare-certified hospice agency

The Medicare hospice benefit offers comprehensive coverage for hospice care costs; however, there may be some additional expenses like copayments.

Paying for Hospice with Medicaid

In most states, Medicaid covers hospice for those who have low income and assets. Medicaid hospice eligibility criteria vary by state, but typically include:

• Certification from a physician that the patient is terminally ill with a life expectancy of six months or less (up to one year in some states).
• Comfort care, not treatment designed to cure the terminal illness.

Paying for hospice with private health insurance

Many private insurance companies cover hospice care often paying the full cost. Be sure to confirm the following:

• If there are qualifications the patient must meet to receive hospice benefits
• Which hospice services are covered under the plan
• If there are any limits on hospice expenses
• If the patient will be responsible for copays and deductibles

Paying for hospice without insurance

There are several options for patients who want hospice care but don’t have insurance. These include:

• Veteran’s Benefits
• Charity care
• Private pay

How to Find a Nurse for Hospice

Are you or your loved one in need of end-of-life care? Complete the form below or contact one of our hospice locations near you to speak to a specialist.