Long-term hospice care a boon for the elderly with severe dementia and other terminal conditions

A lengthy article in today's Wall Street Journal deals with the rapid growth of spending by Medicare on hospice care.  As you know, Medicare pays 100% of hospice costs and this is available to all seniors.  To qualify for hospice, a senior must have a terminal illness and must agree to forego attempts to prolong life. The goal is to make the dying person as comfortable as possible. Most hospice takes place in the patient's own home with nurses, aides, counselling, etc. paid by Medicare.

Medicare spending on hospice doubled over the nine years ending in 2013, to $15 billion.  The main reason is that patients with dementia are increasingly qualifying for hospice and living a long time with a lot of services. Traditionally hospice had been for people with incurable cancer.

Hospice is an excellent service.  Families of frail or dying seniors should consider hospice care. Many seniors go in and out of hospice, which as I said is usually in their own homes, several times and sometimes recover enough to go off hospice.  Hospice relieves the family and the senior of the cost of this expensive level of care.

You may access the article in question by clicking on the graphic image below: