Inpatient Hospice Services Eligibility

Basic Admission Criteria:

• Qualify for hospice and sign the Election and Admission Consent

• Sign a Do Not Resuscitate form

• Sign the Hospice House Addendum

Appropriate End-Stage Diagnoses include, but are not limited to:

• Cardiovascular (i.e. CHF, cardiomyopathy, end stage heart disease)

• Cancer

• Pulmonary (i.e. end stage COPD)

• Renal Failure

• Neurological (i.e. end stage stroke, ALS, MS, Alzheimer’s)

• Liver Disease

Patients will be admitted under one of three Levels of Care:

Inpatient Level of Care:

• Pain, either uncontrolled or poorly controlled, to determine appropriate treatment and/or intensive treatment measures including medication adjustment.

• Physical symptoms: intractable and/or protracted nausea and vomiting; acute depression and/or anxiety, terminal delirium, respiratory distress, and other symptoms that require evaluation and/or fail to respond to management in the patients current care setting

• Rapid decline requiring skilled intervention that is unable to be managed in their current care setting

Respite Level of Care:

• Will be provided on an as needed basis for up to five days per Medicare regulations for those currently on hospice care

Routine Level of Care:

• For patients who do not qualify for the Inpatient Level of Care, but wish to access their hospice benefit and pay privately for room and board charges ($385 per day) in order to reside in the Aroostook House of Comfort until death occurs. Sliding scale may be available for those who qualify.