Pike County Hospice Attends Hospice Day at the Capitol
Bethany Billings and Donna Ellison attended Hospice Day at the Capitol on March 30th. The day consisted of talking with legislators about their support for funding Hospice and a luncheon.
Hospice is an essential component of the health care system. There is no substitute for the compassionate, comforting care hospice professionals and volunteers provide.
- Nine out of ten Americans say they would prefer to be cared for and die at home.
- Just less than 10% of Hospice staff hours worked is volunteer hours. In 2009, there were 302,882 volunteer hours worked in Hospice in Missouri.
- Hospice is considered to be the model for quality, compassionate care for people facing a life-limiting illness or injury. Hospice and palliative care involve a team-oriented approach to expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the person’s needs and wishes. Support is provided to the persons loved ones as well.
- In 2009, Missouri Hospices cared for over 31,342 patients
- 39% of residents in Missouri, who died in 2009, had Hospice care. This includes deaths from all causes.
- Hospice reduced Medicare program expenditures by an average of $2,309 per Hospice user, amounting to $2 billion in savings per year.
- Hospice provides high quality care. More than 98% of served families are willing to recommend Hospice to others.
- Hospice Medicare/Medicaid services are paid a flat, all-inclusive rate of about $135 per day per patients. With the flat rate hospice must cover medications, medical equipment, nursing care, physician consults, home health aide services, social worker, chaplain, inpatients care for terminal diagnosis and after-death bereavement care.
*From Missouri Hospice & Palliative Care Association.
For more information about Hospice, contact Pike County Hospice at (573) 324-2111 or visit our Hospice page.