Medicare/Medicaid Certified
While we do not withhold services to anyone regardless of their
ability to pay, we do have certain criteria that helps keep hospice true to its purpose and goal. To be eligible, the patient must have:
• A terminal illness with a prognosis of 6 months or less, if the illness runs its normal course.
• No plans for further aggressive or curative diagnostics or therapies.
• The patient, our Medical Director, and the patient’s primary physician must approve the referral to hospice before services can begin.
How to Refer:
For patients who live in the Columbia Gorge call 541-386-1942, 541-296-2289, or 888-882-1942.
For patients outside of our coverage area, contact the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization or the Oregon Hospice Association.
Worksheets for Determining Prognosis:
Heart of Hospice will consult with you to determine if a patient is hospice eligible, or may become eligible at a later date.
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) support guidelines to aid in determining prognosis in non-cancer disease. Their worksheets are just a starting point in decision making in non-cancer disease. Your primary care physician, our Medical Director, and the Interdisciplinary Team will review these guidelines at the time of admission, and apply clinical judgment to each individual case to supplement these guidelines. Samples of non-Cancer Disease are:
• Adult Failure to Thrive Syndrome
• Debility, Unspecified
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease
• Heart Disease
• HIV
• Liver Disease
• Pulmonary Disease
• Renal Disease
• Stroke and/or Coma
• All Other Diagnoses