Hospice Eligibility
To be eligible for hospice, the patient must have a life expectancy of six (6) months or less to live. Commonly, if a patient has been diagnosed with a chronic condition or is suffering from a disease that does not respond to treatment, then there is ground for a hospice evaluation by a medical doctor. There are many health conditions which may result in admission to hospice due to factors unique to each patient. As such, the following sections provide some of the most prevalent health conditions which may result in hospice care.
Cancer Diagnoses
A cancer patient may have a life expectancy of six (6) months or less if they have distant metastases at presentation or progression from an earlier stage of disease to metastatic disease with either:
a continued decline in spite of therapy
the patient declining further disease directed therapy
What this means is that when cancer spread can no longer be controlled or when a patient no longer desires treatment, then hospice may be appropriate. Whether or not the patient comes onto hospice is up to them, or alternatively the PoA (Power of Attorney) if the patient is unable to consent.
Note: Certain cancers with poor prognoses (e.g. small cell lung cancer, brain cancer, and pancreatic cancer) may be hospice eligible without fulfilling the other criteria in this section.
Non-Cancer Diagnoses
The following section provides a list of common diseases/illnesses that may result in hospice eligibility:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Dementia due to Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders
Heart Disease
HIV Disease
Liver Disease
Pulmonary Disease
Renal Disease (Acute renal failure or Chronic renal failure)
Stroke & Coma
Other; the hospice Medical Team must provide information that supports a terminal illness with a prognosis of six (6) months or less
Copper Sky Hospice strives to provide excellent hospice and palliative care to eligible patients who benefit tremendously from hospice services. As such, we follow Medicare's Hospice Eligibility Guidelines to ensure that we provide the best outcome for patients, whether they come into our service or not.
Eligibility Assessment
To find out whether you or someone you know may qualify for hospice, answer the following eligibility assessment.
Privacy Disclosure: No self-identifying information is required for this assessment. However, if you have questions or concerns about your privacy or how we collect data, you can read our Privacy Policy, or alternatively contact us at info@copperskyhospice.com or by phone at (602) 830-0605.
Terms & Conditions
I understand that the results of this assessment do not override or substitute for the assessment of a medical professional. As such, the results of this assessment are not medical advice nor a guarantee of hospice eligibility. Rather, the assessment is used for educational purposes in order to learn common indicators for hospice eligibility and provide resources for learning more about hospice.
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