It is unfortunate that many people who died in a hospital emergency room or who received heroic treatments to prolong life in a hospital may have had the alternative of dying at home in familiar surroundings, with family or other loved ones at their side.
When someone is in crisis or appears to be going downhill fast but there really is no hope for recovery, family often call 911 and start a process which can result in great stress and great emotional discomfort. The loved one who is dying ends up in a hospital and may die there or be transferred to a nursing home where death eventually occurs.
When there is no longer hope for prolonging life, especially when this decision is made months in advance, hospice is usually a better alternative to other medical intervention.
Hospice is a form of palliative care for patients who are terminally ill. A commonly used definition for terminally ill patients is, "patients who have a progressive, incurable illness that will end in death despite good treatment, and who are sick enough that you would not be surprised if they died within six months."
Hospice care is a valuable service and is generally underused except for terminal cancer patients. Hospice allows for compassion and dignity in the process of dying. Most families wait too long to have their doctor prescribe hospice from Medicare. It should be considered at an earlier stage.
Hospice involves a team approach using the following providers.
The purpose of hospice is the following:
A person can receive hospice from Medicare if he or she is
A person may continue to receive regular Medicare benefits from his or her customary doctors for conditions not related to the hospice condition.
Our council is dedicated to helping families in Utah deal with the issues and challenges aging seniors face. We do this by offering a trusted listing source of eldercare and senior services in your area.
Some of these senior services include Care Management, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Funeral Planning, Home Care, Medicaid Planning, Placement, Reverse Mortgage, and help with Veterans Benefits.
The Utah Eldercare Planning Council offer books written by the National Care Planning Council, a leader in providing materials on timely subjects relating to aging seniors.
Below are five of their popular books:
"How to Apply for Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits for Senior Veterans and Their Survivors" (2022)
"How to Deal with 21 Critical Issues Facing Aging Seniors"
"The 4 Steps of Long Term Care Planning"
"Protect Assets from Nursing Home Costs: Medicaid Secrets" (2022)
The elderly and their caregivers search online everyday for senior services and frequently find our web site, careutah.com. We, along with the National Care Planning Council, have become an important resource for families looking for help.
We invite you to become a member of the UEPC starting at only $15.00 a month. Your membership will include an advertising listing(s) on two sites, your own personal sales (web) page, and access to the member section.
State Care Planning Councils are alliances of community care providers and advisers in a given geographic area of a state. State Councils provide a platform for these local groups of independent providers and advisors to offer the following services:
(1) Educate the public on how to plan for retirement and long term care
(2) Provide a local source of 15 to 20 different eldercare services through one single state contact
(3) Promote a trusted organization offering reliable services