The focus is on comfort and relief from symptoms, and all activities promote this goal. Because of the differences in hospice programs, families often ask questions about hospice programs. Some of those questions are listed below. Generally, Medicare patients will need to sign a Medicare approval form which includes information on a patient's limited life span in order to enter a hospice program. However, family members should feel free to discuss concerns with the hospice staff about the best approach to presenting this form to the patient.
Appropriate treatment is one of the goals of hospice care.
However, programs may define appropriate differently. Some hospices require that a patient have a primary care person in the home who will be responsible for caring for the dying person. Hospice personnel will teach the primary care person to care for the patient. Other programs are geared to the individual without home support, and may include an in-patient facility. Some hospices require a patient to use the doctor on their staff while other hospices maintain the relationship with the patient's physician.