It’s important that medical professionals educate their patients (and their families) on the different types of care that may be available to them or a loved one. Two of the most commonly confused services are hospice and home health care. I’ll try in this article, to briefly discuss the differences between the two and how each may benefit patients and their families.
When a patient has a serious illness or injury, and they go home from the hospital or nursing home, they may need specialized medical care to help them manage their symptoms or improve their function when at home. Hospice and home health care are the two primary services that people get when they are discharged to home.
So, What is Hospice Care?
When most people hear the word “hospice”, they automatically think about death and dying. If this is the case, you may have the wrong impression of what hospice actually is. Hospice care is a type of care that focuses on providing comfort and support to patients who have a chronic or a terminal illness. Hospice care is not only for people who may have a cancer diagnosis. Hospice is typically offered to patients who are in fragile health and who may not have the strength to participate in more aggressive physical activities. For example, a person who has COPD and has difficulty breathing during routine mobility in the home and is not strong enough to care for themselves. Or, another patient who may have severe arthritis and is unable to get out of bed by themselves or take themselves to the restroom. Either of these cases could be appropriate for hospice services.
Benefits of Hospice Care
Hospice care can provide many benefits to patients and their families, including:
- Pain and symptom management
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Assistance with daily activities
- Respite care for caregivers
- Bereavement support for families
- Provision of supplies to care for the individual including briefs, bathing supplies, gloves, etc.
Now, What is Home Health Care?
Home health care is a different service that also sees patients in their homes, but, these people are generally more active and can tolerate much more activity than the hospice patient. Home health care usually has several healthcare disciplines and professionals that can provide a range of care. These professionals include nurses, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. I wrote more about it here.
Benefits of Home Health Care
Home health care is usually ordered after a person has injured themselves, had a surgery, or has an illness or exacerbation of a chronic illness. Home health care services can provide many different benefits to patients and their families, that include:
- Access to healthcare services like physical and occupational therapy in the comfort of the patient’s home
- Reduced risk of hospitalization or institutionalization by having nurses monitor and educate about health conditions
- Personalized care plans tailored to the patient’s needs developed by each discipline on the case
- Assistance with and edcuation for medication management or other healthcare needs
Differences between Hospice and Home Health Care
While hospice and home health care both provide care to patients in their homes, there are some key differences between the two types of care.
Eligibility
Hospice care is typically provided to patients who have a terminal or chronic illness that may keep them in a fragile state of health for for the foreseeable future that will be difficult to recover from. Home health care, on the other hand, can be provided to patients of any age who require skilled healthcare services in their homes for recovery from things like, a knee replacement surgery, weakness from radiation for cancer, or pain and disability after a fall at home.
Services Provided
The focus of hospice is on providing comfort and support to patients and their families as they deal with the chronic illness. In a lot of cases this can mean pain management, or symptom management, as well as emotional and spiritual support. Hospice also provides assistance with daily activities like bathing and grooming.
Rehabilitation services are not generally offered to folks receiving hospice because the patient may not tolerate or be able to participate in increased activity, or for some, there is not an expected improvement anticipated.
Home health care, on the other hand, can provide a wide range of healthcare services, including wound care, medication management, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and in some areas, dietetic services.
Payment
Hospice care is typically covered by Medicare A, Medicaid, or private insurance. Home health care may also be covered by these same types of insurance, but people also pay for services out of pocket.
In Summary
As a health care professional I have this conversation at least once a month. I have realized that it’s important to educate patients and their caregivers about the different types of care, as I understand them, that may be available to them. Hospice and home health care are just two types of care that can provide support to patients and their families during difficult times. By understanding the differences between these two types of care, patients can make better informed decisions about their healthcare.
Bryan Williams
Physical Therapist
is a licensed therapist with near 30 years of professional experience treating a diverse patient population in a multitude of settings. With simple strategies, he educates and empowers his clients with simple strategies to help them move better and with less pain.
