Adult Hospice Care

The Benefits of Earlier Admission to Hospice Care

Early referral of a patient appropriate for hospice care ensures that, once they elect the benefit, they receive the full benefit of comfort-focused, compassionate care.

Underutilization of the Hospice Benefit

  • Nearly 27.9% of hospice patients in the US are enrolled for 7 days or less
  • In some populations, over 40% enroll within just 3 days of death

Understanding the Timing of a Hospice Referral

Benefits of Earlier Referrals for the Patient & Their Families

  • Benefits of hospice (quality of life, cost savings) are directly tied to length of stay
  • Better opportunity for symptom and pain management, with more opportunity for increased comfort and quality of life
  • Enhanced emotional and spiritual support for the patient and thier family
  • Reduced hospitalizations and emergency visits
  • Families report greater satisfaction and perceived helpfulness with longer hospice stays

Benefits of Earlier Referrals for the Healthcare System

  • Reduction of costly but futile medical interventions that offer little benefit at end of life
  • Reduction in hospitalizations which frees up system resources for patients who require acute care and intervention
  • Reduction in utilization of critical care resources such as ICU and emergency room
  • Overall reduction in cost of care at end of life

Concerns From Later Hospice Referral for the Patient

  • Less time for the hospice care team to manage the patient’s pain and other symptoms
  • Increase in hospitalizations and emergency visits due to unmanaged symptom crises
  • Increased anxiety and fear with less time to express and work through end-of-life concerns
  • Reduced time for planning such as financial arrangements and funeral planning
  • Reduced time for meaningful closure of relationships

Concerns From Later Hospice Referral for the Family

  • Less education about what to expect at the time of death
  • Increased stress and anxiety due to the urgent nature of the change in care
  • Potential complicated grief due to less time to process their loved one’s illness and death
  • Lower overall satisfaction with hospice services

Earlier referral of a patient appropriate for our care leads to better quality of life, holistic, patient-centered support, fewer hospitalizations, and support for families.

Contact us with your hospice questions. We are With You.

Sources: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558768 and pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29710217