Hospice care in DE? (Milford: insurance, home, live in)

[GoingBackEast]

What is up with hospice care in Delaware? We were considering retiring to Rehoboth but our recent experiences with a dying friend have stopped us in our tracks. I read on some Sussex County government meeting minutes that they are aware that hospice here is not available to people with 'unstable households or homeless people.' And that was an issue. Our buddy had plenty of money and good insurance but no one at home to nurse him through his painful death. We had a lot of trouble getting the Milford facility to take him in. They sent him home after a few days. OMG. This was the worst experience all around. The opposite of comforting. What is up with Delaware? Every other state has incredible support.

[colcat]

I don't live in DE, but I can tell you that many are not really aware of what hospice care in this country really is. There is a misconception that there will be a nurse at a dying patient's side 24/7. This is not true. The truth is that a nurse will be available to come in sporadically throughout the week, for a short period of time, making sure the patient is given comfort measures, mainly pain meds. They are also there for emotional support for the family, but do not sit there and babysit (for lack of a better word). If your friend had money, he could have paid for a nurse to be there 24/7, however, that would have been at a phenomenal cost. Many do not have the funds for that. It is truly sad how this country takes care of the dying.

[bhunt1]

There are residential hospice facilities but they are rare, at least where I currently live in upstate NY. The residential hospice my brother had at the end was great, but it is rare to find that in a rural area unfortunately.

[Gerania]

Three paragraphs, and I didn't hit post. My mom spent the last week of her life in a hospice facility. I couldn't find the paperwork to have her admitted to the nursing home, and her house, at the time, was found unsuitable for in home care.

The three day thing is for an emergency admittance. That's how my mom got there. After that, somebody's got to plead the case. Her doctor had to write a lot that week. She asked, then insisted that mom spend her last few days there.

That was in PA. It's got nothing to do with Delaware. Have a good doctor who knows your first name and cares. After that, everything's OK.

[rdlr]

https://www.delawarehospice.org/our-...ospice-center/

I've heard many positive remarks about the Delaware Hospice Center.

[GoingBackEast]

Yes, of course. And the nurses were very helpful.

[longneckone]

Not Hospice care but very related to those seeking medical treatment. Before even beginning treatment with a Specialist determine what the charges will be. I recently was refereed to a Specialist by my long time primary doctor because of a slight abnormality in routine annual blood tests. Over the years myself and family members have had occasional visits to specialists and simply paid our copay for specialists. Found out after initial exam this one thinks he is worth a lot more and will not except our carrier's rate.Not mentioning any names on line.Just warning check first. I find this unethical because there were no signs in office and nothing was said as we provided our insurance info. I will be doing a lot of questioning calls and writing letters.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by longneckone

Not Hospice care but very related to those seeking medical treatment. Before even beginning treatment with a Specialist determine what the charges will be. I recently was refereed to a Specialist by my long time primary doctor because of a slight abnormality in routine annual blood tests. Over the years myself and family members have had occasional visits to specialists and simply paid our copay for specialists. Found out after initial exam this one thinks he is worth a lot more and will not except our carrier's rate.Not mentioning any names on line.Just warning check first. I find this unethical because there were no signs in office and nothing was said as we provided our insurance info. I will be doing a lot of questioning calls and writing letters.

That happened to me once when the dentist sent me to an endodontist who didn't take our insurance--or any insurance. It really ticked me off because we only had good dental insurance for three years. You don't think about those things when you're sick or have a tooth ache. They're not paying, so they seem to not care.