Can hospice care improve a patient’s health?
- Yes. Sometimes a patient’s health improves in hospice care for a number of reasons: nutritional needs are met, medications are changed, regular social interaction, more consistent medical and/or personal attention, etc.
- Hospital care is a Medicare benefit that belongs to the patient. When patients enter hospital care, it is because they are entitled to benefit and choose to use it. A significant improvement in the patient’s condition may require the physician to reassess the patient’s six-month prognosis. If the patient’s doctor believes that he will live more than six months, hospitalization is stopped.
- If or when the patient’s condition begins to deteriorate, the doctor may reevaluate the patient. If the patient is again eligible for hospice care, he can continue hospice care if he wishes.