How Long You Can Get Hospice Care

It was always a question I had, how long can my Mom get hospice care. Everyone was rather vague, but there was a booklet left by the home health agency which details the requirement.

The booklet is from Centers for Medicare & Medicade Services. I have not found it on the internet. It can be ordered by calling 1 - 800- 633 -4227.

This is what is says

How Long You Can Get Hospice Care

You can get hospice care as long as your doctor and the hospice medical director or other hospice doctor continue to certify that you are terminally ill and probably have six months or less to live if the disease runs its normal course. If you live longer than six months, you can still get hospice care, as long as the hospice medical director or other hospice doctor recertifies that you are terminally ill.

Important: Hospice care is given in periods of care. You can get hospice care for two 90-day periods followed by an unlimited number of 60-day periods. At the start of each period of care, the hospice medical director or other hospice doctor must recertify that you are terminally ill, so you can continue to get hospice care. A period of care start the day you begin to get hospice care. It ends when your 90-day or 60-day period ends.