TRAVEL INFORMATION
AS CARE NEEDS INCREASE: LEVELS OF CARE
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Four Seasons recognizes that some patients may want or need travel while receiving hospice care. The Medi- care Modernization Act of 2003 allows hospices to arrange with a different hospice to help meet patients’ needs when they 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 patient.
Routine Home Hospice Care
Continuous Home Hospice Care If changes in the patient’s condition require more intense care than is typically provided in Routine Home Hospice Care, 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: Routine Home Hospice Care is provided wherever the patient calls home (a private home, skilled nursing facility, assisted living facility, hospital, and other locations). This care includes regular visits from the care team and specialized training for the caregiver and family to be able to provide daily care. 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 con- cern you. We can arrange for a nurse to visit you, even in the middle of the night if necessary.
CALL YOUR CARE TEAM IF: You are planning any travel that would take the patient out of the local area.
• Train family caregivers to give medications, pro- vide personal care and treatments, or conduct other specific procedures ordered by your medi- cal 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. • Stay involved in the patient’s care. • Be part of making decisions that you feel are in the best interest of the patient, such as not turn- ing in bed, refusing medications, etc. Please dis- cuss these decisions with your Care Team.
• 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.
How You can Help:
• Be available for visits from your Care Team. • Assist in planning for the patient’s care when the current symptoms are under control and contin- uous care ends. • Ask questions freely and as often as needed.
When More Help is Needed 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 responsi- bility of the patient’s family. Your Care Team will gladly work closely with caregivers you choose to hire.
866.466.9734 • FourSeasonsCare.org
866.466.9734 • FourSeasonsCare.org
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