Frequently Asked Hospice Care Questions

Almost always, there is no cost to you. Medicare, Medicaid, the VA, and most private insurance plans cover Hospice Care. If, for whatever reason, someone is unable to pay for hospice, Orion will never turn someone away due to the inability to pay.

Not necessarily. It's never possible to know exactly how long someone has left. Hospice focuses on quality of life - making the remaining time as comfortable as possible. While in hospice, patients should continue to live their lives, doing the things they like most. Sometimes, due to the care provided by Orion, a patient will get better and "graduate" from hospice.

Hospice should be initiated as soon as possible to benefit from the full range of services. Studies show that the earlier hospice care begins, the better the experience. We often hear from families that they wish they would have called Orion earlier.

Hospice is eligible for anyone with a terminal condition expected to live six months or less. This includes many patients with Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's, COPD, stroke, cancer, heart failure, liver disease, renal (kidney) disease, ALS, and many other terminal conditions.

That's actually a common myth about hospice. While our goal is to make life as comfortable as possible, Orion  does not prescribe any medications that cause or hasten death. In fact, on average, people utilizing hospice will live longer than if they hadn't chosen hospice.

A clinical team reviews all medications. Medications needed for the comfort of the patient are continued. Cutting down a cocktail of extra medications often leads to an improvement in the overall condition of the patient.

Wherever the patient is, it can be in a private home, assisted living facility, or a nursing home. If a situation ever arises that requires symptoms to be controlled in a hospital setting, Orion is partnered with local hospitals to do just that.

Nurses and caregivers visit frequently enough to ensure that the patient is comfortable and cared for and that the family is supported. While hospice is available 24/7, hospice does not provide round-the-clock caregivers. Our community experts will be happy to help you determine how hospice will work for you.

Orion offers comprehensive care, but you don't need to use anything you don't want. We work with you to create a personalized and customized care plan to match your preferences.

Orion Hospice does not require you to have a DNR (do-not-resuscitate) order. If your preference is for resuscitation to be performed if needed, your choice will be respected.

Hospice is only for patients focused on making the final journey as comfortable as possible. That said, our Palliative Care Program can help with pain and symptom relief for patients seeking a cure or pursuing life-prolonging treatments.

Our goal is to enable patients to be comfortable at home and to reduce the need for hospitalizations. However, a patient always has the right to go to the hospital if they choose. If the hospitalization is related to the hospice diagnosis, the patient would need to be discharged from Orion's care in some situations.

Sure. At any time and for any reason, it's your right to say you no longer want hospice.

Protecting patients and families is our number one priority. Don't hesitate to contact us for information about our approach to COVID and the safeguards we are taking.

Orion provides hospice care to COVID-positive patients, provided they have a terminal condition. Please note that COVID-19 alone, without another disease or condition, is not considered terminal.

You need to sign a few papers as long as you're eligible. That's all. Please get in touch with us, and one of our community experts will meet with you and explain how it works.