NHPCO Highlights Importance of Hospice in Healthcare Since 70s

Care Giving, History of Hospice, Hospice Care, Nurses, Nursing, Social Work, Terminal Illness

November begins National Hospice & Palliative Care Month. National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) writes that hat began as primarily a volunteer-driven, grassroots movement in the 1970’s, is now an integrated part of our nation’s health care delivery system that provides care to more than 1.43 million Medicare beneficiaries and their families every year.

“Enacted as a demonstration in 1978 and a Medicare benefit in 1982 as our nation’s first coordinated care model, hospice programs have served millions of Americans and their families with compassionate care to relieve pain, manage symptoms, support patients and their family caregivers, and provided bereavement services for individuals following the death of a loved one,” said Edo Banach, president and CEO of NHPCO. “The benefit has been invaluable to patients and lifesaving for families.”

NHPCO offers a snapshot of hospice care with representative statistics from the current edition of its report, Facts and Figures: Hospice Care in America (PDF):

48 percent of Medicare decedents were enrolled in hospice at the time of death (in 2016).
Median length of service was 24 days.
5 percent of patients received care for 90 days or less, while those receiving care for more than 180 days accounted for 13.6 percent.
Cancer was the most common principle diagnosis, accounting for 27.2 percent of patients; increasing among the patient populations is a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia which accounts for 18 percent.
98 percent of care was provided at the Routine Home Care level with 55.6 percent of RHC days taking place in the home.

NHPCO provides a valuable abundance of resources with data and statistics on hospice. The organization is integral to a broad spectrum of efforts in leading the public’s understanding of hospice and palliative care and advancing the ever more vital role of hospice across the healthcare industry.

In addition, this month honors the home care and hospice community including the millions of nurses, home care aides, therapists, and social workers who make a remarkable difference for the patients and families they serve.

These heroic caregivers play a central role in our health care system and in homes across the nation.

In 2018, home care providers will travel about 8 billion miles to deliver the best health care in the world’
Ninety percent of Americans want to age in place, and home care is the preferred method of health care delivery among the disabled, elderly, and chronically ill; and
Home care provides high-quality, compassionate care to more than 5 million Americans annually.

As we approach the giving season, November is the perfect time to recognize their efforts.