For Health Care Professionals
Care Initiatives Hospice is dedicated to providing physicians and caregivers with the highest quality of service. Below is information to help you learn more about hospice and how to assess the need for hospice care for your patients. Please contact us for additional information.
Why should I refer a patient to hospice care?
Hospice care specializes in supporting the needs of patients with terminal and life-limiting conditions. With hospice care, your patients receive interdisciplinary support that can help address their physical, spiritual, mental and emotional needs during the last stages of life – coordinated care they might not be able to receive conveniently from a hospital, clinic or other medical setting. With palliative care, our goal is to help reduce suffering and improve the quality of life for the patient as well as family members.
Reasons to refer a patient to hospice/palliative care include:
- Patient is seriously ill with complex pain and symptom management needs
- Patient’s condition requires a great deal of decision-making and family involvement
- Patient requires a great deal of family presence and communication
- Patient requires a diverse set of multiple care providers
- Patient has endured a prolonged hospital stay without improvement
- Patient and/or the family has elected withdrawal from life support in the ICU
- Most importantly, patient would benefit from easing the suffering and adding quality and comfort to the last stages of life
How can I determine if a patient is terminal and requires hospice care?
Patients are eligible for hospice care if they have a life expectancy of 6 months or less in the event their disease or illness runs its normal course, according to the physician’s clinical judgment. Patients need not be bedridden to qualify. Situations may vary, and you can always contact Care Initiatives Hospice for a professional recommendation.
Terminal and life-limiting diseases that may require hospice care include:
- Alzheimer’s
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Cancer
- Dementia
- Failure to Thrive / Faltering Growth (Adult)
- Heart Disease
- HIV/AIDS
- Huntington’s Disease
- Liver Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Non-Specific Terminal Illness
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Pulmonary Disease
- Renal Failure (Chronic or Acute)
- Stroke or Coma
How do I refer a patient?
To refer a patient to Care Initiatives Hospice, please contact us. We will need to know the patient’s personal information, medical history, previous and/or current therapies, emergency contacts and more.
What is my role as the referring physician?
Care Initiatives Hospice understands a primary care physician is a trusted advisor and friend to the patient and family during the weeks, months and years of treatment of life-limiting illnesses and conditions. Care Initiatives Hospice works with the patient-primary physician relationship and can accommodate office and/or home visits. We also respect that patients reserve the right to select care and services from their hospice or palliative care provider. Patients always have the freedom to return to traditional care methods at any time for any reason.
Why should I choose Care Initiatives Hospice?
Care Initiatives Hospice is an interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, therapists, chaplains, volunteers and more, offering physical, spiritual, emotional and mental support, as well as grief care for loved ones. No one who qualifies is ever turned away from Care Initiatives Hospice. Care Initiatives Hospice is an extension of the Care Initiatives network of senior care providers, an organization well-established and highly-respected as Iowa’s largest not-for-profit senior care provider. Care Initiatives Hospice is accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP). We are proud, active members of The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and The Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Iowa (HPCAI), formerly the Iowa Hospice Organization.
Where can I go for additional information regarding hospice care?
