Eligibility/Hospice Criteria
Hospice is a routine part of medicine, representing
an important resource in the completion of good
medical care. Yet only a minority of dying patients
(approximately 18%) receive hospice care. Of
those that do receive hospice, approximately
one-third will be admitted too late for it to
be fully effective. Patient and family satisfaction
surveys indicate that overall satisfaction scores
improve as length of stay on hospice increases.
Patient assessment in end-of-life care differs
from other clinical assessments in that its focus
is aggressive pain and symptom management versus
cure or control of disease. An assessment of
the whole patient is needed to determine eligibility
for hospice. The assessment process itself will
become an effective therapeutic tool, providing
an opportunity to communicate information regarding
the patient's prognosis and the need for advance
planning and personal preparation.
Hospice
Appropriateness Worksheet
(Note: this form requires free
Adobe Acrobat Reader software.)
Core Indicators
- Life-limiting condition with clinical progression
(may be due to a specific diagnosis, a combination
of diseases, or there may be no specific diagnosis
defined)
- Weight loss >10% over 6 months
- Serum Albumin < 2.5 gm/dl
- Dependence in most Activities of Daily Living
(dressing, bathing, feeding, continence of
urine and stool, transfers, and ambulation
to bathroom)
- Karnofsky
Performance Status < 50%
(Note: this form requires free
Adobe Acrobat Reader software.)
To access worksheets for determining appropriateness
for hospice for specific diagnoses, click on
the appropriate diagnosis below. (Note: these
forms require free
Adobe Acrobat Reader software.)
Guidelines for Non-Cancer Diagnosis
Guidelines for Certain Cancer Diagnosis
For Hospice eligibility questions, please call
1-800-700-8807.
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