Palliative and Hospice Care Alaska

What It Is To palliate means to ease discomfort by treating symptoms of an illness. Palliative care promotes the patient's comfort by addressing any and all issues causing physical or emotional pain or suffering. Also known as end-of-life care, hospice is palliative care designed to help the patient through the last stages of a terminal illness. The goal is to keep pain and suffering to a minimum, not to cure the illness-by this point, the patient's doctor has determined that the patient can no longer benefit from regular medical treatment. Although hospice care is usually administered in the patient's residence, it can also take place in a hospice facility. When necessary, hospice services can be called into assisted living facilities and skilled nursing facilities, as long as those facilities carry a hospice waiver.

What to Expect Hospice agencies provide many services, some of which include: nursing, physical and occupational therapy; speech language therapy; medical social services; home health aides; medical supplies and appliances; drugs for symptom control and pain relief; physician services; psychological, spiritual, and nutritional counseling; group and bereavement counseling; caregiver support groups; and grief support.

Paying for Palliative and Hospice Care Medicare is the principle provider of hospice care in the U.S., but Medicare Part A only pays for hospice care provided by a Medicare-certified program. All Gilbert Guide hospice agencies are Medicare-certif...Click here to read more from Gilbert Guide