Correctly identifying hospice-eligible patients within the right time frame increases the chances that patients and their families will receive the greatest benefit from compassionate, end-of-life care.
Physicians must certify that patients meet guidelines to be eligible for a referral to a hospice provider.
Who is eligible for hospice care?
For a patient to be eligible for hospice, consider the following guidelines*:
- The illness is terminal (a prognosis of 6 months or less if the terminal illness runs its normal course)
- The patient has a declining functional status as determined by either:
- Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) rating of less than 70%
- Dependence in 3 of 6 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
- The patient’s nutritional status shifts. Ex: More than a10% loss of body weight over the past 4 to 6 months
- The patient has an observable and documented deterioration in overall clinical condition in the past 4 to 6 months, often observed as one of the following:
- Less than or equal to 3 hospitalizations or emergency room visits
- Decrease in tolerance to physical activity
- Decrease in cognitive ability
- Other comorbid conditions
*These guidelines are only provided as a tool and NOT as a replacement for a physician’s professional judgment. The purpose of these guidelines is to help physicians determine when their patients meet clinical guidelines for hospice eligibility for life-limiting illnesses.
Hospice care referral
If you feel that your patient or loved one fits into one of the above guidelines, please fill out our secure referral form.