Care Page
Hospice Care

While in the Hmong tradition it is important to have family/clan (especially the son) be there when a parent is leaving or passing on, there are services that can help support your role as a caregiver during the end-of-life for your parent.

Hospice is a special way of caring for people with terminal illnesses. It’s designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families. Hospice care focuses on the person's emotional, social, physical, and spiritual needs. A team -- physicians, social workers, nurses, therapists, home health aides, clergy, and volunteers -- works with family and friends to improve the quality of a patient’s last days by offering comfort and dignity.

In Minnesota, all hospice programs must be licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health, (651) 215-8701. One way to pay for hospice care is through the Medicare Part A benefit.
Medicare Hospice Care

To be eligible for Medicare hospice benefits:

- A physician must certify that you have a terminal illness with a life expectancy of six months or less

- You must be enrolled in Part A Medicare

- You must sign a statement that you choose to use the hospice benefit

- You select a Medicare-certified hospice program. About two thirds of Minnesota’s hospice programs are Medicare certified.
Medicare hospice coverage includes:

- Routine medical care

- General inpatient (hospital) care

- Continuous care (care during a crisis for about 8 hours daily for 3 to 5 days)

- Inpatient (hospital) respite care that is limited each visit to a stay of no more than 5 days
Medicare pays the hospice program directly for your care. You are responsible for a portion of the cost of inpatient respite care and outpatient drugs for pain relief and symptom management.

Medical Assistance (Medicaid) and, in many cases, commercial insurance also pay for hospice care.

To find a hospice program in Minnesota, contact The Minnesota Hospice Organization, (651) 659-0423. Elsewhere in the country contact the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, (703) 837-1500.

This Care Page is modified from information of the Office of Ombudsman for Older Minnesotans.

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