Does Medicare Pay for Alzheimers Patient's Hospice Care?
Alzheimer's disease is extraordinarily hard on families. You may have to balance care-giving with taking care of children and work, and along the way make difficult decisions on behalf of your loved one. During the last stages of Alzheimer's, hospice care can make an immeasurable difference in the quality of life of your loved one and your family, and Medicare helps to cover the costs.
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Hospice
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Hospice is end-of-life care. Generally, hospice care begins once you have a life expectency of six months or fewer. The goal of hospice, unlike most other medical care, isn't recovery from an illness. Hospice care's goal is to allow people to die as pain-free as possible, with as much dignity as possible. Though hospice care can happen in a number of settings, including nursing homes, it most commonly takes place in the home. Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease that can last many years; hospice care helps to relieve the burden felt by family caregivers.
Eligibility
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Medicare Part A covers hospice care. Generally, you start on Part A at age 65, and don't pay any additional premiums. To receive hospice care under Part A, your doctor must certify that your loved one is terminally ill with a life expectancy of six months or fewer. Your loved one (or you, if you're acting on your loved one's behalf) must also waive the rights to any further treatment for the terminal illness, including heroic measures. A living will or end-of-life directive usually is required for entry into hospice care.
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Benefits
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Medicare will cover several services under its hospice benefit. Home health care, homemaker services, social services assistance and therapy are all available and covered by the Medicare hospice benefit. Respite care (when a professional caregiver comes in to relieve a family caregiver) and bereavement counseling are available for you and your family. Prescriptions and medical supplies are also covered.
Other Medicare Requirements
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Medicare requires that the agency that provides hospice care be Medicare-approved. Medicare also will not cover facility hospice care unless it's medically necessary for the care to be done in a facility. If that's the case, the facility must be Medicare-approved as well. Medicare-approved facilities can also be used for respite care for up to five days. You are eligible for hospice care as long as your hospice program can certify you're terminally ill.
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