Is There a Hospice Facility?

Many times when we think of Hospice, we think of it as something dark and looming, patiently waiting in the distance for us to come to the end of our lives. However, as we’ve seen in previous articles on the topic, that’s most certainly not the case. Generally hospice care and the people who work in the field are much more concerned with making sure a patient lives as full and comfortable a life as they can, even near the end of life. It is not all doom and gloom, no matter what our preconceived notions may lead us to believe. 

Another thing that may come as a surprise is the fact that there are actual, physical hospice facilities. Whereas most people think of hospice only being called to someone’s home at the end of life, there are actually facilities where patients can go to receive hospice care. Some of these facilities are independent, while others may be located in hospitals.

Also as a reminder, you often don’t have to pay for hospice care. No matter if you have a personal insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, if your loved is terminally ill, you won’t ever have to pay for it. This is due to the many nonprofit hospice facilities who offer patients their services for free. An example of such a place is Gilchrist Hospice Center, a nonprofit facility that admits patients for services no matter if they have the ability to pay for them or not. Medicare will cover 100% of the services related to terminal illness at home and in a long-term care facility. However, they do not cover room and board; the ones they do cover are those dealing with clinical support, equipment, and medication related to fighting the illness. Insurance could help with some of the cost of room and board, and many facilities will work with all insurances and discuss both the benefits and co-pay with the family and patient.

So yes, there is in fact a hospice facility, but again, they may also be located in hospitals or assisted-living facilities, along with being their own standalone buildings.