Hospice care in Polk County

What is hospice?

Hospice is comfort-focused care for a person whose physician certifies a life expectancy of six months or less if the illness follows its usual course, delivered by a team of nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains and volunteers.

AHCA's locator shows 3 licensed hospices based in Polk County: Compassionate Care Hospice of Central Florida Inc (Lakeland), Empath Hospice, LLC (Lakeland), Good Shepherd Hospice (Lakeland). Hospices licensed in neighboring counties may also serve Polk addresses.

Can hospice care happen inside a Florida ALF?

Yes; s. 429.26(1)(c) allows an ALF to keep a resident on licensed hospice, even one who is bedridden, when the facility, resident and physician agree and a plan of care sets out who meets which needs.

That provision spares many residents a final move.

Who pays for hospice?

Medicare's hospice benefit pays for the team, medications and equipment related to the terminal illness, and Medicaid covers hospice as well; neither pays ALF room and board.

Ask about response times after hours and where inpatient hospice care takes place.

How do we pick a hospice in Polk County?

Ask how quickly someone responds after hours, how often nurses and aides visit, where inpatient hospice care happens, and what respite the hospice offers family caregivers.

A patient may change hospices once per benefit period.

Can hospice patients' families get respite?

Yes: Medicare's hospice benefit includes inpatient respite for up to five days at a time so family caregivers can rest, and continuous home care during brief crises.

Ask each hospice where its respite and inpatient beds are located; in a county as large as Polk, a respite bed in Lakeland may be a long drive from Lake Wales or Haines City. Ask too how the hospice handles a crisis at 2 a.m., and whether a nurse comes to the home or answers by phone first.

When is it time to ask about hospice?

Ask when treatment no longer helps or is no longer wanted, hospital visits are becoming frequent, or weight and function keep slipping despite care; a physician must certify a life expectancy of six months or less, but many people live longer and are recertified.

Starting earlier usually means more months of support for the patient and family. A hospice evaluation is free and commits no one, and a patient can leave hospice to resume curative treatment.

Where in Polk County is hospice licensed?

AHCA's records place Polk County's hospice licenses in these cities; agencies have no bed count.