{"id":8141,"date":"2024-02-25T08:59:20","date_gmt":"2024-02-25T08:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/?p=8141"},"modified":"2024-09-21T08:35:44","modified_gmt":"2024-09-21T08:35:44","slug":"what-if-someone-in-hospice-care-lives-longer-than-six-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/what-if-someone-in-hospice-care-lives-longer-than-six-months\/","title":{"rendered":"What if Someone in Hospice Care Lives Longer than Six Months?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research through the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has shown that many terminally ill individuals who choose<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/hospice\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hospice care<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> live longer than those who don\u2019t \u2013 29 days longer, on average. And here at Suncrest Hospice of Tulsa, we\u2019ve seen several patients enjoy an unexpectedly long period of time on hospice. A small minority even surpass the six-month mark.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what happens when someone in hospice care survives for longer than six months?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many people worry that services will be automatically discontinued, but that isn\u2019t necessarily the case. Although a prognosis of six months or less is a requirement to receive hospice care, Tulsa patients aren\u2019t penalized for living longer. Read on to learn more.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9113 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hospice-care-Tulsa.webp\" alt=\"hospice care Tulsa\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hospice-care-Tulsa.webp 1000w, https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hospice-care-Tulsa-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hospice-care-Tulsa-79x53.webp 79w, https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hospice-care-Tulsa-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hospice-care-Tulsa-900x600.webp 900w, https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hospice-care-Tulsa-675x450.webp 675w, https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hospice-care-Tulsa-24x16.webp 24w, https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hospice-care-Tulsa-36x24.webp 36w, https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hospice-care-Tulsa-48x32.webp 48w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/b><strong>The Six-Month Prognosis for Hospice Care<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To qualify for hospice care, a patient must be both terminally ill \u2013 meaning that they have a condition that can\u2019t be cured \u2013 and expected to live for six months or less, assuming their illness takes the usual course. Before that point, services won\u2019t be covered by Medicare, the Oklahoma Medicaid program or private health insurance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That being said, the six-month prognosis is really more of a guideline than a definitive timeline. Doctors don\u2019t find it easy to predict how long a terminally ill individual will live, as everyone\u2019s situation is unique. During the final months and weeks, diseases can take different paths, and occasionally, a patient\u2019s health improves after entering hospice care.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How can that happen?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the NHPCO, hospice patients are likely to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoid the potential problems and harmful side effects that can come with overtreatment<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Benefit from additional monitoring and palliative therapies only available in hospice care<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Develop a strong desire to live due to the care taken with physical and emotional well-being<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improvements in health after entering hospice are generally considered to be connected to improvements in care. It may be because of the medication adjustments, nutritional guidance or spiritual and social support \u2013 or it could be a combination of factors \u2013 but in any case, patients do sometimes outlive their initial prognosis. So while a life expectancy of six months or less is required to initiate hospice care, there isn\u2019t a six-month limit on hospice services.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Providing Hospice Services Past the Six-Month Point<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a terminally ill individual to enter hospice, a physician must certify that their death is likely to occur within six months. If they survive for longer, they face one of two scenarios.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, if a doctor believes that the individual still has a limited life expectancy, services can continue unabated. Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurers cover hospice care in benefit periods \u2013 two 90-day periods followed by an unlimited number of 60-day periods. Doctors assess the situation near the end of each period, and as long as the prognosis hasn\u2019t changed, the patient remains eligible for hospice care.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Secondly, if a doctor attests that a patient no longer has a terminal diagnosis or limited life expectancy, hospice coverage comes to a stop. The individual is discharged, and they may transition to palliative or home health care. Later on, if their health begins to decline and it\u2019s believed that they won\u2019t live for longer than six months, they can resume hospice care.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Adapting the Hospice Plan of Care as Needs Change<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In hospice care, providing support at every stage of the end-of-life journey is the priority. Patients have a team of skilled professionals assisting with their care, and as their physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs are met, they\u2019re able to enjoy the best possible quality of life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, during their time in hospice, patients often come to have previously unencountered problems. As a terminal illness progresses, new symptoms may appear and additional help may be required. The wishes and goals of the patient may change, too, so the plan of care is never set in stone. Hospice professionals aim to ensure comfort and well-being at every stage by:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customizing the plan of care to align with the unique requirements and preferences of the patient<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keeping a close eye on the patient\u2019s condition and adapting the care plan to meet their ever-evolving needs<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joining forces with the patient and their family to provide the right hospice services at the right time<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The plan of care is reassessed as frequently as necessary, given the patient\u2019s condition. But whatever the situation, the hospice team reviews the care plan a minimum of once every 15 days. By doing so, they can coordinate services and arrange for support that allows for a comfortable and peaceful end-of-life experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Suncrest Hospice of Tulsa, our dedicated team offers comprehensive and compassionate care to individuals with terminal illnesses. And when a patient happens to live longer than six months, we see it is a testament to their strength and resilience \u2013 and we celebrate the gift of extra time. For more information on our services, or to discuss<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/location\/tulsa\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hospice care<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a loved one in Tulsa, Oklahoma, contact us today.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Research through the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has shown that many terminally ill individuals who choose hospice care live longer than those who don\u2019t \u2013 29 days&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":9113,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8141","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-blog"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8141"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9114,"href":"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8141\/revisions\/9114"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matrixbricks.us\/suncrest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}