Inpatient Hospice Care​

Our inpatient hospice care team works with the family as a whole while comforting and supporting them.

Overview

What Is Inpatient Hospice Care?

A hospice unit provides more than simple pain and symptom management for people with terminal illnesses. It also offers patients and their families empathetic care, practical support, and counseling. At Longleaf Hospice and Palliative Care, our goal for inpatient hospice care is to improve our patient’s quality of life. We also include the family in our care plan so that everyone receives the support they need.

Pain and Symptom Management: When Is Inpatient Hospice Care Used?

Health care providers recommend inpatient care when the patient:
  • Feels that the pain or other symptoms are out of control
  • Experiences vomiting or nausea that cannot be managed at home
  • Suddenly takes a turn for the worse or experiences a medical crisis
  • Experiences unmanageable respiratory distress
  • Needs monitored doses of IV medication
  • Experience seizures
  • Needs a serious wound cleaned and dressed
  • Is unable to remain calm and must be monitored
  • Needs general nursing services to make them more comfortable.

These facilities are a hybrid between a small hospital and a clinic. They offer more medical assistance than you’d typically receive at a doctor’s office but do not go as far as a hospital.

Book a Free Consultation

We'd love to provide some clarity for any questions you may have.

When you book a free consultation with us, we will answer any questions you might have about Hospice Care, our services, and our team. We want to understand your loved one’s health condition. If they are eligible for Hospice care, we will work together to figure out the best plan for their unique needs.

What To Expect in a Hospice Care or Assisted Living Facility

A hospice provider or an assisted living facility differs from a primary care facility in that it centers on symptom management. The patient’s doctor considers ways to increase their life expectancy while we improve the patient’s quality of life.

A hospital can be confusing for someone nearing the end of their life. The noises, clinical atmosphere, and bustling environment are not ideal during this difficult time. It’s also usually expensive and not feasible when considering the room and board costs. 

Longleaf offers you a warmer environment with a better-balanced care plan. We’ll support your loved one at home for as long as possible. We encourage visits from family and friends and have no set visiting hours.

Levels of Hospice Care

Hospice is not a one-size-fits-all program at Longleaf. Instead, we tailor our services to meet each family’s individual needs. Contact Longleaf to learn more about what this entails and how we might be able to help you or a loved one.

Where possible, we provide hospice care at home. This could be at:

  •     Private homes
  •     Living facilities
  •     Nursing homes
  •     Medicare and Medicaid-approved facilities
  •     Hospitals

 

A hospice doctor, nurse practitioner, or hospice volunteer visit the home regularly to monitor the patient’s symptoms and provide emotional support. We set up a regular visiting schedule to provide the optimal level of nursing care for:

  •     Pain relief
  •     Application of intravenous medication
  •     Frequent dressing changes
  •     Relief related to the patient’s illness
  •     General needs to improve patient comfort

 

We provide all the medication and medical equipment the patient requires. Clear communication is a priority for our team, so they’ll always: 

  •     Advise you in advance of a visit
  •     Provide updates on the patient’s condition
  •     Answer any questions you may ask
  •     Explain the side effects of the medication
  •     Provide advice on how to treat the patient if they’re in pain or respiratory distress
Continuous home care is necessary when the patient needs constant monitoring. It may also be necessary if the patient requires frequent attention for pain and symptom management. Longleaf provides full-time nurses and aides that can be with your loved one 24/7.

When the disease progresses, it may become impossible to manage pain and the other symptoms at home. In these cases, the patient will move into:

  •     Contracted hospital
  •     Nursing home
  •     Inpatient facility
  •     Palliative care facility
  •     Skilled nursing facility that provides skilled nursing care round the clock
Inpatient respite care allows the primary carer to take a short break. We take over the care of the hospice patient for up to five days so that you can recharge. This is particularly important to ensure that you don’t burn out as the primary caregiver. Many people feel that they must take care of their loved ones by themselves. That is exhausting and not sustainable. By taking a regular break, you can provide your family member with the best possible care when you get back. The Medicaid and Medicare hospice benefits pay for some respite care services, so check with us to see if you qualify.

How Long Can a Patient Stay in Inpatient Hospice?

Your hospice benefit will differ depending on your insurance coverage, but inpatient hospice care is typically short-lived. Ideally, patients will remain at the facility for less than five days.

Medicare and Medicaid may extend this period on the attending physician’s advice. However, the primary goal of a general inpatient care facility is to help the patient return home or to their nursing home if possible.

What does inpatient hospice care mean?

You can also describe inpatient hospice services as comfort care. The goal here is to manage the pain and discomfort of terminally ill patients once their treatment plan is over. Our general inpatient care team works with the family as a whole while comforting and supporting them.

Supporting Hospice Patients With Terminal Illness and More Intensive Needs

Our care plan centers on three basic elements as per the client’s requirements:

  • Medical care
  • Emotional support
  • Spiritual support


We assist the patient’s direct family and any other members interested in coping. Our plans extend beyond the patient’s passing, helping them move forward. Our aftercare services include bereavement counseling for each family member. Longleaf provides all the medical supplies, equipment, and care that hospice patients need.

Book a Free Consultation

We'd love to provide some clarity for any questions you may have.

When you book a free consultation with us, we will answer any questions you might have about Hospice Care, our services, and our team. We want to understand your loved one’s health condition. If they are eligible for Hospice care, we will work together to figure out the best plan for their unique needs.

Additional Care Options

Explore our other care options to find the best fit for your loved one.

Palliative Care

Care in conjunction with primary treatments as an extra layer of support.

Palliative care focuses on the pain symptoms and stress of a serious illness most often as an adjunct to curative care modalities.

Learn More

Routine Hospice Care

Provided in a residential setting to ensure comfort and security.

Receive regularly scheduled visits to address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of your loved ones in your preferred residential setting.

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Respite Care

Temporary relief for the patient’s primary caregiver.

Our respite care options allow primary caregivers to take a break, reconnect, disconnect, or just tend to their individual needs.

Learn More

Crisis Hospice Care

Providing necessary comfort during a pain or symptom crisis.

We offer around-the-clock hospice care services to address the concerns of patients facing life-limiting conditions and provide support for their families.

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Grief Support

Receive the support you need during the natural grieving process.

Our team consists of highly trained, kind, and professional members who deliver a care plan for alleviating the grieving process and improving quality of life.

Learn More

Contact Us

Still have questions about the Care Options we have?

Our team of certified nurses is available for you. If you would like to ask a question, use this online form to contact one of our nurses.