How does hospice handle medical emergencies?

One of the most important features of hospice care is 24/7 nurse availability. If a patient experiences a sudden change in symptoms, a pain crisis, severe breathlessness, or another urgent situation, family caregivers can call our after-hours line at any time and speak directly with a registered nurse. In many cases, guidance over the phone resolves the situation without any need for emergency services.

When a phone conversation is not sufficient, we can dispatch a nurse to the home for an urgent visit, day or night. Our goal is to address symptom crises where the patient is, at home and in comfort, rather than subjecting a seriously ill patient to the distressing experience of an emergency room.

It is important to understand that hospice does not prevent families from calling 911 in a true life-threatening emergency. However, most hospice families find that having a trained nurse available around the clock dramatically reduces the need for emergency services. In fact, hospice patients have significantly lower rates of ER visits and intensive care admissions than similarly ill patients who are not on hospice.