For Health Care Professionals
When to refer to Hospice:
- Your patient has sought treatment in an emergency room or has been hospitalized for a disease-related episode twice in the past year
- You are receiving an increased number of calls and requests from family caregivers
- Family members appear to be overburdened with or fatigued by care giving
- After hospitalization, your patient cannot return home and is admitted to a nursing facility
- Your patient has had a weight loss of 10% or more in the last six months
- Your patient’s appetite has been steadily declining, unrelated to any other condition
Arnold and Egan
The American Journal of Geriatric Cardiology
Benefits of Early Referral
Many patients and families tell us how grateful they are to their physicians for telling them about the option of hospice services. And often we hear them say, Our only regret is that we did not receive hospice services sooner. [ Click here to read more ]
To Make a Hospice Referral
To make a referral, call us at 828-894-7000 or 800-617-7132 or fill out and submit the physician on-line referral form. Our Admissions Department will contact your patient and/or family member within 24 hours of receiving the referral during normal business hours—Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.—or early the next business day.
HOWEVER, if this is an emergency, please call us at 828-894-7000 or 800-617-7132. After hours, dial either number and press 1. Tell the operator that you need to speak with a hospice nurse.
When to refer to Palliative Care:
Palliative Care of the Carolina Foothills will be happy to consult with patients who are referred by their attending medical provider (physician or nurse practitioner). We can help the most with patients who have some of these characteristics:
Major medical co-morbidities (major illnesses)
examples include function-limiting heart disease, COPD, dementia, Parkinsonism, cancer, cerebrovascular disease and many others
Difficult-to-manage physical symptoms either due to the patient’s disease or its treatment
Such as pain, dyspnea, nausea, weakness, anxiety, depression, constipation, etc.
Assistance with complex medical decisions
including discussion of goals of care, DNR or MOST form (in NC only), completion of advance care planning documents, and planning for future care needs.
Recent hospitalization(s) for major medical illness or frequent ED visits
Recent decline in functional status; dependent in some or all activities of daily living
Life expectancy of 2 years or less
i.e. Would you be surprised if this patient died within the next 2 years?
Need for patient and family education about the patient’s medical condition/prognosis, psychological support, or resource referral
To Make a Palliative Care Referral
To make a referral, call 828.894.7016 or 800.617.7132; fax to 828.894.2675; or email pcare@hocf.org.
Hospice Medical Memo
A newsletter for healthcare providers