Difference Between Outpatient Hospice Care and Inpatient Hospice Care

Difference Between Outpatient Hospice Care and Inpatient Hospice Care

Difference Between Outpatient Hospice Care and Inpatient Hospice CareHospice offers four levels of hospice care.  This care is based on symptom management and needs, along with location of where hospice will be provided.

  • Routine Hospice Care
  • Inpatient Hospice Care
  • Continuous Home Care
  • Respite Care

What Kind Of Hospice Care Does Angel’s Grace Provide?

 The most common level of care that Angels Grace Hospice provides is routine home hospice care, which could also be considered outpatient hospice care.  This level of care is provided to patients in their “home”, whether it is a private home, an assisted living facility, a memory care facility, or a nursing home.  This is the appropriate level of care for someone who is experiencing a decline in health, with a life limiting prognosis, who has routine hospice needs, and managed symptoms.  Routine hospice nursing visits are tailored to fit the needs of our patients.  Our general nursing visit schedule for routine hospice is 2 times per week.

Alternatively, for those patients who need a higher level of care, for unmanaged symptoms, inpatient hospice may be a more appropriate level of care for them.  Inpatient hospice care can only be provided at a facility that has a registered nurse present for 24 hours every day.  Inpatient hospice care can be provided at a hospital, a skilled nursing facility, or a hospice house.  Angels Grace Hospice does not have a hospice house, but if your care needs require placement as an inpatient level of care, we will work with you to place you or your loved one in a hospital, nursing home, or work with a partner hospice that can provide hospice home placement.  When someone qualifies for an inpatient level of care, hospice nursing visits are increased to daily to assist in the management of symptoms and needs.  Inpatient hospice care requires ongoing management of symptoms, once the symptoms are managed; the plan is always to have our patients return back to their “home”.  Placement in an inpatient facility is considered temporary, and will only be covered by hospice until symptoms are once again well managed.  At this point, once the patient is comfortable, managed, and stable for transfer, the care level and location will require changing.  If you or your loved one are in a hospital, hospice will help with discharge planning and discharge from the hospital, to the “home” of your choice.  If you or your loved one are already in a nursing facility, you will remain in your facility, but the hospice visits would return to a routine level of care frequency.

The goal at Angels Grace Hospice is to manage all of your needs and symptoms in your “home” setting.  We have the staff to manage both your routine care needs, and your emergent needs, along with urgent symptom management.  In addition to your Nurse Case Manager visits, we have 24 hour after hours nursing support for any and all needs.  Angels Grace hospice also works with a team approach, so despite your level of care needs, we offer Certified Nursing Assistants, Social Work, Chaplain, Volunteers, Pet Therapy, and Reflexology services to meet your needs.

At Angels Grace Hospice, in Bolingbrook, IL we provide customized care plans specific to each of the patients and their families.  We provide end-of-life care at home, hospitals, skilled nursing homes or assisted-living facilities depending on individual circumstances.  Contact us with any questions and for further assistance with your end of life care options.