| |  |  | | |  | | | The Difference Between Home Health & Hospice | | Hospice and Home Health are different in the type of care they provide. One is not better than the other, as far as medical care goes, but specialization is a factor. When choosing between the two, one should consider the needs or desires they have. Thus, when choosing your care, listed below are a few differences each of the agencies have. | Hospice - Quality of life and palliative care focus
- Does not need to be home-bound
- Pays for medication related to the illness
- Pays for customary medical equipment
- Pays for customary medical supplies
- All staff visits are covered
- Paid for by Medicare Part A, Medicaid, most private insurance
- Volunteers that support
- Receive care as long as your doctor certifies you for care
- Specialization in pain and symptom management
- Specialized staff updated with the latest technology in end-of-life care
- Staff available for emergencies 24 hours a day 7 days a week
- Guidance and counseling services
- Grief and bereavement support for 13 months or longer
- Patient and family are focus of care
| Home Health - Rehabilitative and curative care
- Must be home-bound
- Does not pay for medication
- Must qualify for equipment
- Does not pay for medical supplies
- Must have skilled need for visits
- Funded by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance
- Limited, if any, volunteers
- Receive care as long as you have a skilled need
- Specialization in rehabilitation and life-sustaining approaches
- Specialized staff updated with the latest technology in rehabilitation
- Most agencies have on-call service
- Limited counseling services
- No post-care program
- Patient is the main focus of care
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