What can you expect from hospice? Do people come in 24/7, and what is our responsibility?

I don't think your father going back to his home is a good idea, as when you bring hospice onboard they only do about 1% of his care leaving 99% of it to you, other family members or round the clock hired help.
Hospice will have a nurse to come visit him once a week to start to check his vitals and such, and they're usually there about 45 minutes to an hour tops. They will also send aides to come bathe him about twice a week and that's about it.
They may have a volunteer that can come sit with him a few hours a week, but they're not allowed to do any care.
The upside is that they will supply any and all needed equipment like hospital bed, and Hoyer lift(since your dad is "very heavy")along with all supplies(diapers, pads, creams, etc.)and any needed medications all covered 100% under dads Medicare.
But still you guys will be doing all the hands on care. Are you prepared to do that? It may be best instead to have your dad brought to a long term care facility, where he will receive the 24/7 care he needs, and you can still have hospice involved while he's there.
I cared for my husband for the last 22 months of his life in our home and he was under hospice care the entire time, so I know what I'm talking about. I had to hire an aide to come in the mornings to put him on the bedside commode so he could poop. My husband had a permanent catheter so that made things easier from that perspective, but it was still A LOT of work for me.
I wish you the very best in getting this all figured out.

First, I'm sorry for what your dad and you are going through.

Have you contacted any hospice agencies yet? They are definitely not "one size fits all".

What usually happens first is the hospice agency sends an intake nurse to evaluate the patient. I *strongly* suggest that there are several family members there when this evaluation takes place, especially the ones who will be primarily responsible for dad's care while he is in hospice. Because if dad remains at home, then 95% of the caregiving responsibility for dad will rest with family members. Listen to the intake nurse; ask as many questions as you need to; take and keep notes. It's a lot of information to take in in one sitting; hospice will also likely leave you an informational packet. Read through it, and if you have any questions after, reach out to hospice and ask. If the first hospice agency you interview doesn't appeal to you - for whatever reason - then interview another and another until you find one that you and dad are comfortable with. If you "hire an agency and they aren't fulfilling their obligations - a.k.a. not communicating with you or answering your calls/questions, then you are within your rights to "fire" them and bring a different agency on board.

No one is going to be able to give you an exact time frame on how long dad has, not even hospice. But they will recognize signs that a layperson can easily miss - they did with me when my mom was in hospice. But they will send a nurse to check on dad, provide him with incontinent supplies and prescriptions, will send an aide several times a week for bathing, and give you access to a social worker and a member of the clergy if you/dad so desires. They can also provide volunteers who can sit with dad for a while should you need to run out briefly; I'm not sure how those volunteer programs are doing with Covid still lurking around. Hospice also provides support to the family who are caregiving for the patient. And hospice will provide your dad with a "comfort pack" - end of life medications for if/when the time comes that he needs them. While dad is on at-home hospice, a family member will be primarily responsible for administering those then the time comes, so whoever is taking care of dad will need to be able to give those medications.

Again, I'm sorry your family has to go through this. (((hugs)))

You should have said unsafe discharge. He was not kicked out, they just did not tell you till the last minute. And yes, this is part of insurance, however if you told them the correct words, they would have kept him at a rate of $185 per day for up to 100 days while you worked out a plan. I hate the pressure that is put on unsuspecting family who are clueless.

You are stuck in the middle. He will need at least 2 people even to turn unless he can help. Now that he is home, you are under the burdon to hire help....approx $30 per hour. I will bet a care company will tell you it will take several days. Plus there are some parts of the country where they are turning away 1 in 4 due to lack of staff.
If you find this is too much to handle, bring him back to the hospital ER where he started and inform them what just happened that he was dumped on you and that you were not prepared and informed correctly. This may now be more costly if you knew.
As you mentioned, appetite is poor so it may be only a few weeks, but what will you be able to do as he gets weaker and becomes more like dead weight. Were you shown how to clean up the bodily waste?

Apply for Medicaid and get dad back into long term care placement in a Skilled Nursing Facility. Or, he can self pay if he has the funds to do so. Once his funds run out, then Medicaid can kick in. I don't know how long he can last on hospice....my mother's appetite was poor for a year before she passed at 95 with advanced dementia and heart disease.

Hospice can come into the SNF to care for him. If you hire in home hospice, you'll do 99% of the caregiving yourself and that's the truth. If he's approved, a CNA will come in 2x a week to bathe him, and an RN once a week to check his vitals and see about meds. A social worker and chaplain come over about once or twice a month, and you'll be given a hospital bed and supplies for dad. That's about it, until he's actively dying and then the nurse visits ore often.

You can bring him back to the ER like Mac suggested, too....I'm not sure how all that would work, but it's worth a try.

Good luck to you

As stated by others, you will have a LOT of work to do if he is at home. I think this would be very hard and probably a big mistake that you may regret quite quickly. I would guess that he could live quite some time. I guess I don't know what his exact condition is. He is failing in a number of areas but that doesn't mean he'll pass quickly.

Good luck.

Hospice will send out a RN to explain what you will be dealing with until the last day. Then a chaplen and sosical worker from hospice to make sure hospice is doing there job. They will not be there 24/7. With my experience they tend to lag on coming out when they say they will. Typicaly they come out every day or every other day to clean up your loved one and bring supplies. You are suppose to be able to call them at anytime, because they have a nuse always on call for advice.
As far as moving him to make him convertible he needs a sheet with the top at least above his shoulders and passed his knees. With team work you can wrap the corners in your hands and lift together on the count of three. When changing his brief team work as well. The best way to make sure the back of the brief is set right to avoid having to turn him constantly tuck it under as far as you can. This applies to taking it off and putting one on.
Hopice can hire outside caregivers to help with the family. I have helped a couple families through this process. Most reasontly with a person I had already been taking care of for two years.
You have a tough road ahead of you. Sometimes they hang on because there is someone they need to talk to before going. Or if they are leaving a spouse behind they need to hear that spouse will be taken care of. Giving them permission to let go.
Something you need to know. Towards the end they do not speak. It can last a couple days or hours. But durring that time they can hear EVERYTHING you are telling them. It has been scientificly proven by brain waves. You can tell them how much you love them or to let go. I wittnessed a family member tell someone I forgive you, then they passed on.

I will keep yawl in my prayers.

We had hospice for my Uncle, but he was terminal within days in death. They do not come 24/7. We had to get a home health care aide. However, hospice provides a nurse and a spiritual check in check in....they also brought the abroad the drugs needed to keep him calm and in no pain. They took care of the bed also. I wish you luck and strength. It's a good idea to reach out because they will help.... Just not 24/7.

If you choose Hospice, be aware that if you are not pleased with the provider you select you have the right to change to a different one. As with all providers, some are better than others. Ask anyone you know who has used Hospice about their experience with the provider they used. That said, remember none are going to be perfect and there might be some things that you have to overlook if you are satisfied with most of the care he receives.

My 88 yr old husband is on hospice services. He is paralyzed on right side, has dementia and can do nothing for himself. I have a caregiver eight hours a day seven days a week for which I pay.
Hospice provides a nurse who visits for an hour weekly to assess status, orders gloves, incontinent supplies (this is most helpful since he is totally incontinent), any medications he continues to take, and an aide 3 days a week for bathing and or transitioning from bed to chair.
The purpose is for the patient and family to decide that they wish no further extraordinary care or hospitalizations. I wish my husband to die comfortably with dignity.

Call 911 say " he is dehydrated " Have them bring him to ER and speak with a case manager and social worker . Just tell them " he needs a skilled Nursing facility and what are your Options - because you can not care for him . " Once in a NH They can bring hospice in .

Sorry you are dealing with this. Some of this depends on what insurance he has. At age 92 in the US, I assume he would have Medicare Part A (inpatient) care coverage. But he may have Part B, OR Part C. And/or other retiree coverage, long term care coverage (?) or supplemental Medicare. Or perhaps would qualify for Medicaid; depending on asset/income requirements in your State. OR you could start a Medicaid spend down. I know, this is all like Greek to most folks, the social worker where he is, should be able to help if not yet discharged?

If he has not yet been discharged (?) -- HOPE NOT -- as others have said, you need to be clear with the rehab facility it is "not safe" for him to be discharged home. Those are key words, that put the responsibility back on the facility to work out a "safe" discharge!

That frankly should be to a Medicare/Medicaid qualified skilled nursing facility which has "inpatient hospice or palliative care services." A hospice physician would need to certify he is in need of such hospice care and has less than 6 months to live. He would (or you if you are his "medical agent" via an advanced directive) would sign off on no further treatments that Medicare or Medicaid might cover to treat or cure any illness, and have a DNR (do not necessitate order). This means he is cared for largely in terms of pain but all other medical care ends. Then they do the palliative care thereafter.

Of course this may not be want is preferred and the decision really among the family is to do "hospice at home." Medicare (other insurance still should pay) but this is not 24/7 care. Either the family has to take shifts OR outside aides have to be hired if there are resources to pay for that.

Having had experience two times (one family/one friend), it is very hard IMHO to do hospice at home without a "village of helpers" around the clock and/or paid aides. Many aide services only send an aide for a few hours a day (maybe 3 or 4 hours, that is it) to help with things such as cleaning your loved one, some meal prep, helping feed them if necessary, helping to change soiled linens; and maybe (but really depends on the service -- private pay or not -- house cleaning, laundry, etc.) All else is done by family/friends around the clock.

Most aides are not RN, cannot do admin IV pain meds, change bandages, change med mix. And RN would do these things, stopping by perhaps once a week; but most have on call nurses if it is really needed (not for treatment, but for things like need different pain meds). But again, the care is mostly about pain care not treatment of underlying disease.

If the LO has a short life expectancy, this all might be very hard but manageable at home. Doing this more 6 months (what Medicare covers) or longer is nearly impossible.

If your LO has the resources -- home to sell later, money in the bank, in an IRA/401K, whatever -- tap into what you can now and spend privately to augment any Medicare covered hospice aides. Private pay nursing where we live (not that an RN is really required for this, but if you want it, it is an option) is about $150 an hour with an 8 hour mim (about $1,200.00 a "day" but really only for 8 hours). Or you can opts for paid RNs in 24/7 shifts if you really want that.

Private pay aides (not RNs, but trained hospice helpers) outside of the Medicare benefit can go for less than an RN ($500-$1,000 for an 8 hour shift). If you can opt for night aides -- so you and family, volunteers can get some respite, that is what many folks do. Have the Medicare hospice aid come in the mid morning to handle things -- the washing, feeding part -- family and friends do the early am (before work may be easier for others to help); and family/volunteers help after lunch through the pm time when the private paid aide can arrive (usually like 10 pm, covering until 6am)....

This is not a fun or easy journey. Try to get rest and break where you can.

Here is a short piece from Medicare: https://www.medi

Goodness, No! Hospice is not 24/7. We had a nurse for 20-30 minutes twice a week and an aide once or twice a week for about 1/2 hour. The rest if up to the family or whatever help the family chooses to hire out-of-pocket.

Be careful! First-check to see if the Hospice you are planning to use is non-profit or for profit. You will want non-profit. You’ll be assigned a social worker (we never saw ours), a nurse, perhaps a nurse practitioner.
hospice doesn’t have to come every day, however they bill Medicare daily. Our experience was horrible. The nurse immediately began dosing my Father with morphine. She upped the dose on a regular basis…she told us it was to soothe him so he wouldn’t become anxious. It didn’t. He laid in the bed for 11 days, developing hideous bed sores…Hospice didn’t want to do anything about the bedsores…I ended up calling everyone on the Leadership Team at the hospital…the Medical Director actually came to our house..in 15 minutes he was being prepped to go back to the hospital for in-house Hospice and treatment of the necrotizing wounds.
I learned (do your research), that oxygen isn’t necessarily helpful to the dying person..however Hospice brings it in because it makes the family feel better. And be careful of DNR-a hospital WILL pull oxygen and all other services they deem ‘treatment’ and not ‘comfort’. Again, awful experience…let your family member pass in the hospital. It was the worst experience.

Honestly, I believe with all my heart that they tried to euthanize my mother. She was singing, dancing , talking and eating when we were basically manipulated into hospice without even being able to review any potential companies.
It wasn't her illness that almost took her clean out of here. It was the cocktail of morphine and Ativan that they gave to her IMMEDIATELY and around the clock and then had the nerve to attribute her irregular heart rhythm and sudden drop in communication to her being in pain somehow. What??? She also developed bedsores that were hidden from me. My mother was probably minutes from death when I finally told them no more and took her to the hospital. They were hard pressed about making feel like I was killing her but my mom's wishes were to save her life if possible.

Three months later she's still struggling but she's able to communicate and smile, understand and raise her limbs again.

Please please please understand that our loved ones are considered disposable to the insurance companies. Don't just put him into hospice unless he's actually on his last breath.

You should get equipment that will help you care for dad safely. If that is a Hoyer Lift it will be ordered.
You will get a hospital bed.
You will get all the supplies that are needed. (briefs, wipes, gloves, lotions, barrier cream and medications will be delivered)
A Nurse will come 1 time a week. More often if it is necessary.
A CNA will come at least 2 times a week. (2 CNA's will come if it is not safe for 1 to manage care)
You will have a Social Worker assigned. They may meet with you by phone after the first meeting. They will be in contact at least 1 time a month.
You will also have a Chaplain that is part of the Team. You can request that they visit or not it is up to you.
The ONLY person on the team that is required to visit is the Nurse.
the team is always available by phone if you have any questions. The Hospice staff is available 24/7 by phone and they will send someone out any time if there is a problem.
the Hospice team will not be there 24/7 so if needed caregivers will have to be there. Caregivers do not need to be there at all times if the patient can be safe by themselves. If the Hospice team does not think it is safe they will then require that someone be with the patient or a transfer to a facility. the Hospice will not pay for the facility but they will continue care.
Hospice does provide for Respite Care (a bit under 1 week) that is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most other insurance.
Hospice will also transfer a patient to an In Patient Unit if pain or symptoms can not be managed at home.
Call the Hospice of your choice, as a matter of fact call a couple. Interview them just as you would any medical service. If you find you are not happy with the one you select you can always transfer to another.

No, they do not come in to care for the patient 24/7. They might make a daily visit to do a few things: wipe off bath, check vitals, etc. Other than that, you are on your own and will have to provide 24 hr care for your dad.

You will receive all kinds of supplies that he needs (pads, wipes, diapers, certain meds to keep him comfortable) as well as a bed that allows raising head and feet. They will check him for pressure wounds and probably put protective pads to help avoid wounds.

Hospice will explain their role at the evaluation meeting when he gets home. Be prepared to provide the round the clock care. Even if the patient is in the active phase of passing, they only provided my parent with a bath every other day. A nurse came by about the same. The rest of the care was up to me.

Good morning,
I hear and affirm this time of change and the grief and distress it can cause for everyone , the patient and family members.
Some things to be aware of re your question about hospice:
1. You may choose a hospice of your preference.
I strongly suggest that you and your family call a hospice of choice and aske them to provide you with education about their services. You may also call more than one hospice to do some 'comparison' if you like. Families do that these days. In other words, if the physician refers you to a hospice, you may decide to use that one, or if you know a hospice that you would prefer, you have every right to request that one. You may also start hospice and change hospices or stop hospice at any time. Hospice is a choice, not a mandate.

2. The hospice will send an RN out to do a initial assessment on your father to determine Hospice appropriateness. He/she will provide a lot of information for you and your father about his care expectations and hospice services, insurance coverages, plan of care, different disciplines on the hospice team available to you and your family and the patient etc etc etc.

3. Assuming that your father meets hospice appropriateness when the RN completes the initial assessment, and it does sound like that he will, then it is your ( POA and patient, if patient is cognitively alert and oriented to make own decisisons) will decide if you want to accept the hospice care. It is important to include your father in these conversations if he is able.

4. If you elect to accept hospice services, and based on your collaborative conversations with the case manager assigned, they will provide you with the frequency of hospice visits; these may be for example only: RN, 1 x week , CNA, 2-3 times a week, Social Worker 1 x month, Chaplain 1 x month ( or the frequency you request, for example may be 2 x month or 1 x a week for Chaplain), Volunteer 1 x week...... Hospice is AVAILABLE 24/7 for needs based on patient changes and and frequencies of visits vary based on pt. needs throughout the duration, HOWEVER, hospice is not in the home on site 24/7 with someone from hospice always present in the home . Hospice helps the family and patient provide care that the family will be expected to do also and enables the patient to have a peaceful end of life in their home. Many families still find it necessary to provide help or presence in the home with the patient 24/7 and this has to be either family members or paid help. Hospice is paid for by insurance. SO, look into what insurance or other financial coverage or assistance is available. For example, if your father is a Veteran, he is most likely eligible for some excellent veteran benefits that will help in the home with paid help in addition to the hospice care.

Hospice is about living and quality of life for the patient and the family .. Hospice can be a great service assisting the patient and family through a life limiting illness and towards a peaceful EOL ( end of life). However, hospice may not be for everyone and your and your family and your father will need to decide if it is for you and IF the family members are all in agreement to help and be in the home as needed to be with the patient; or if there are other financial resources to assist with 24/7 presence and help in the home in addition to hospice. In other words, someone will need to be with the patient in his home 24/7 ( most likely) and hospice does not provide that. Also, family will be expected to provide daily medications and assist with the cleanliness of the patient ( for example if the patient in incontinent and wears diapers, and the diaper becomes soiled, hospice will not send out an aid or an RN to change a diaper. Some families do not realize this and, understandably some family do not feel they can do such care, so then there is an issue to be addressed. Peace.

Each company is unique so the question is for you to ask to hospice agency on your interview. They will tell you exactly what their own policy is and what your Dad will qualify for. Usually it is bathing by CNA and this varies from three times a week to daily often dependent on how mobile the patient is. They will have RN come according to the need for administration of medications and checking on patient. There will be reach out by clergy and social services. More and more hospice is not what originally it was, real and personal case by case care for patient and family. It is now absorbed by the military industrial complex to be rote and by the numbers, more a business model than it was. Do discuss your questions with your own hospice and am wishing your family the very best in care and support. No one can give you a timeline on what to expect; they will give you guidance in what to look for as far as changes indicating end of life is approaching if you ask.

Hospice volunteer here.

Hospice is for people who have a prognosis of 6 months or less. The patient (or family members, if the patient is unable) has decided not to seek a cure for their illness.

Hospice is fully covered by Medicare. It includes:
a doctor's evaluation
a nurse assigned to the patient
social worker if desired
chaplain if desired
CNA care if desired
medical equipment if needed
volunteer support if desired
24/7 help and availability

The goal of hospice is to make the patient's last months, weeks or days (and sometimes YEARS) as comfortable as possible. Most people's quality of life improves on hospice, and the #1 comment from patients and family is "I wish we'd done this sooner."

It sounds like your dad is already withdrawing from this world by sleeping more and eating less. His body is probably starting to shut down. This can last months, or days.

I think hospice is a great resource. My grandfather and aunt were on it, and it made their last months more comfortable and made the rest of us feel more supported and less alone. That's why I became a volunteer, and I would advocate for it for myself, my husband, etc.

It is a sad time, but it can be a beautiful and rewarding time, too, facing this inevitability head-on and honestly. Take good care.

Just to clarify: Hospice is a choice made by the patient and family. No one, not the doctor or ALF or nursing home, can "assign" hospice. Your dad can have all the medical intervention he wants: medications, chemotherapy, CPR.

Hospice is nonprofit and administered through a hospice program with your local hospital. I don't know anything about private hospices so can't speak to that, but I am a hospice volunteer and would choose it any day over being shipped to and from the ER and nursing home on an endless cycle until I die in a hallway somewhere.

Hospice at home is for support only. You will need family members or paid help for 24 hour support. Hospice will help you rent a hospital bed (I would recommend this for anyone who has mobility issues) and other equipment you might need such as a shower seat or a commode. They will also send a bath aid to help bathe the patient and change sheets. They also supply bed pads and other things like that. They have massage and music therapy available. They set you up with a nurse who will visit a few times a week who will check on the patient’s condition and answer your questions about meds. They can also give the patient a cath if the doctor recommends it and things like that. You can call them at all hours for support, but they don’t supply care 24/7. That is the family’s responsibility.

* You need to call a Hospice organization in your county and ask them. Have you done this? If so, I presume you are asking us something else - more finer details or experience. Please elaborate.

* You will need a MD authorization for Hospice. Did you ask his dad's medical provider about getting him into Hospice? This would be the first step / along with contacting your local Hospice organization.

- it is important to know their philosophy re medication. Their purpose is to provide COMFORT CARE; not staying alive with medical intervention. Although they will provide meds for pain (= comfort). Be clear on what they do and do not do.

* The main fact I learned working with others availing themselves to Hospice is that a person DOESN'T have to be diagnosed having a terminal illness to qualify.

* From my experience, two different Hospice organizations provide different levels of skills and support. First one was 100% there for me (for my client); the more current one is less than desirable - which started with the coordinator who set up everything ... said she'd do xxx and didn't ... and didn't even let me know ... when I am managing / handling / coordinating everything. Unfortunately, unless you have references from others, you may not know this until you are in it.

The 'best' response to getting through these difficult times is:

* stay in the moment / return to the moment when you start to future trip
* give yourself time-outs / breaks / have others in place to support you.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF; Get the respites you need.
* No one knows how long your dad will survive. I believe you are speaking of your grief and sadness, and your overwhelm in this situation and your responsibilities. It is huge.

Gena Galenski
Touch Matters

My dad with severe dementia was in hospice care at home for about 6 weeks and then I had to take him to an ER. Prior to the ER was looking into a hospice facility. The home hospice care is not 24/7 care, you provide the care. They can get you the comfort meds, supplies, RN and a bath aid as these are things medicare will cover with a doctor's referral to hospice care. Hospice care facilities are staffed 24/7 and the care your LO receives is way better than a nursing home. Yes, hospice companies will go to nursing homes but they basically provide the same services in the nursing home as at home the only difference is now medicare will pay for EOL supplies as in home. But they DO NOT pay for nursing care other than for the EOL RN who visits about 2x a week.
Both my parents had/have dementia. My mom was in a memory care facility when she died. The facility was wonderful and they had recommended a hospice care company for mom. The RN and I met. Mom was provided with a hospital bed and the RN reviewed mom's medication and had that changed. Then covid hit and I was not able to be with mom during her last 3 months of life but was able to be with her for the last 3 days. During this time the hospice RN visited with myself and my brother and the facility let us stay in the room with mom.
For dad, he has lived with me for the past 2 yrs with the last 3mos bed ridden and in the final stage of dementia. Dad is also a US Navy and Air Force Vet with 100% service connected disability. With that was able to find a hospice facility that has a VA contract to take care of Vets in the final stages of their lives. Going the Hospice Facility route was/is hard, as no one takes are of your LO as you do but to keep/save your physical, mental and emotional self, finding a good and caring place brings peace of mind.

Hope I understood your posting here, I'm not really sure if you're giving advice or requesting it.

(copy and paste): VA Crisis Helpline 24/7
https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_campaign=ar_pact_fy22_veterans&gclid=CjwKCAjwzNOaBhAcEiwAD7Tb6IG5DDupzZSRfw7A4lJsVCp8LbwREGvPIcZwzCbr3eJDPFxFKkD0VBoCSGkQAvD_BwE

(copy and paste): A Place for Mom - Veterans https://www.aplaceformom.com/lp/sl/veterans?kw=3234-prospecting_nb_hospicenat_null_apfm&kwg=H:NM:X:X:Hospice_Near%20Me;&keyword=hospice%20services%20near%20me&match=p&device=c&network=g&account=G:US:NB:APFM_Master_New&campaignid=10755895187&adgroupid=107760968844&ad_id=454349357261&AdPosition=&geo=9033430&distrib=s&targetID=kwd-314643230059&interest=&hl=Hospice-Care%7CHospice%20Care&location=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid_media_sem&utm_campaign=prospecting_nb_hospicenat_null_apfm&utm_content=null&utm_term=hospice%20services%20near%20me&gclid=CjwKCAjwzNOaBhAcEiwAD7Tb6K54_NmpmYQcqEhyFck12SjacIMddqxfRjgVDZd4Qr4dUpeuq9MjnxoCDpUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Google this: hospice facility near Woburn MA

My best friend's husband was a WWII vet, had severe dementia and was in a nursing home until his death...................all paid for by the VA (excellent and respectful treatment through out has last years).

Placing him near you will give you the opportunity to visit everyday if that is what you desire.

I'll tell you right now what you can expect from hospice at home.
Not much. I speak from a long experience dealing with jospice at home.
They will be an aide who will help him bathe or shower a few hours a week. Or give him a bed bath. Insurance will start paying for diapers and supplies that he uses while on hospice. A nurse will come in a few times a week, take his vitals and order supplies. They pretty much do all of nothing. They will also send a social worker to stop in once or twice a week who willbe completely useless to everyone.
This is what hospice at home will do for you. You'll pretty much be responsible for everything else.
You might want to look into a hospice facility for your father.

I believe in-home care is what would be best for your dad. We have a program call IRIS here that has been wonderful with helping get the care you need. They will provide the funding so you can afford to get things like a lift chair, grab bars, wheel chair, etc. They will also provide the funds needed for personal care and supervision. That includes family and friends. The nicest thing about IRIS is that they allow the person (not the government) decide what he/she needs. Please look into what may be available in your area. They should have similar programs.

You can also check with the insurance to see if the offer any in home care as well. They sometimes will allow a nurse or in home therapy to visit.

You do need to be very careful with hospice. Especially when it is NOT at home where you can keep an eye on things. They do very little and in fact may even suggest removing all food and water to kill them faster! Do not let them! It is a horrible way to die. The abuse and neglect in some of these places is off the charts right now.

Did you appeal his discharge? I did for my husband and gave the reason he was not making the progress expected by insurance . Consequently his stay was extended. You can’t always trust the indurance make the right decision, you have to advocate for your patient. Its all about their revenue not whats best fir the patient.

Everyone here is being very wordy but trying to tell you that hospice and caregiving are not the same thing.

Hospice is end-of-life care (as in medical care). They send a nurse and an aide to give a bath once or twice a week, but the hands-on caregiving is still the responsibility of the family.

Hospice is a godsend, because the medical professionals come to you so you don't have to go to them. They also support the entire family through the dying process of the loved one. Ignore those here who have said they kill people -- they do not -- nor are they a hindrance. Hospice is an on-call 24/7 service designed to help people in the last months of life when going back and forth to the doctor and hospitals is no longer useful.

The most important thing to know about hospice is that it now becomes about the QUALITY of life, not the quantity. Their goal is not to keep someone alive at all costs, but neither are they there to hasten one's death.

Lovely244: Hospice is end of life care. Your father's medical provider will have to be spoken to about the need for hospice if you deem it necessary.