AS CARE NEEDS INCREASE
TRAVEL INFORMATION
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Four Seasons recognizes that some patients may want or need travel while receiving hospice care. The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 allows hospices to arrange with a different hospice to help meet patients’ needs when they do travel for short periods to other areas. Your Care Team will work with you to help meet the patient’s needs while traveling outside of our area. Please notify your team of any expected travel as soon as possible. Your Care Team needs time to contact another hospice and provide them with enough information to provide any support or care needed during travel. Travel is typically 14 days or fewer. Longer stays out of the area are possible, but your Care Team needs to discuss your plans and help you make the best arrangements. At least one week notice is preferred so Four Seasons can be certain all necessary things are in place for a safe and comfortable trip for the pati ent.
Your Care Team can help avoid unwanted hospital stays, allowing the patient to stay at home. Four Seasons’ nurses are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to your urgent needs or other issues that concern you. We can arrange for a nurse to visit you, even in the middle of the night if necessary. CONTINUOUS CARE If changes in the patient’s condition require more intense care than is typically provided, it is sometimes best for Four Seasons’ nurses and nurse aides to remain for a few hours or more in the patient’s home. The Medicare hospice benefit calls this “continuous care.” This is for ‘crisis’ periods, for a limited time, and the patient must meet certain criteria.
The Four Seasons Team will: • Train family caregivers to give medications, provide personal care and treatments, or con- duct other specific procedures ordered by your medical provider. • Reposition (if reasonable) bedbound patients and bathe/change incontinent patients frequently for comfort and to prevent skin breakdown. • Bring their own food and beverages and will not smoke or use electronic smoking devices while in your home.
• Be allowed a 30-minute meal break and up to two 10-minute breaks during an 8–12 hour shift. • Conduct themselves as guests in your home, and will be courteous and respectful at all times. • Provide regular visits by the usual Care Team in addition to the continuous care being provided to the patient.
CALL YOUR CARE TEAM IF: You are planning any travel that would take the patient out of the local area.
How you can help: • Stay involved in the patient’s care.
• Assist in planning for the patient’s care when the current symptoms are under control and continuous care ends. • Ask questions freely and as often as needed.
• Be part of making decisions that you feel are in the best interest of the patient, such as not turning in bed, refusing medications, etc. Please discuss these decisions with your Care Team. • Be available for visits from your Care Team.
RESPITE CARE Respite care is a period designed to relieve the family member or other persons caring for the patient. The patient is admitted to a nursing center (possibly Elizabeth House) only on an occasional basis, for no more than five consecutive days at a time. The hospice Medicare benefit also pays for this short stay. WHEN MORE HELP IS NEEDED TO GIVE CARE AT HOME Giving care takes much time and energy. Sometimes it is good for the family to hire professional caregivers. Quality, private-duty personal care is available with other community agencies or individuals. Talk with your social worker for more information. Hiring, supervision, and payment of professional caregivers is the respon- sibility of the patient’s family. Your Care Team will gladly work closely with caregivers you choose to hire.
866.466.9734
FourSeasonsCare.org
FourSeasonsCare.org
866.466.9734
Four Seasons
Four Seasons
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