Knowledge of hospice
The survey findings support the need for more widespread use of hospice so people can stay in their homes as they age, Mr. Cone says.
When illness gets severe, “There’s no reason you have to get rushed to the emergency room or wind up in a hospital,” Mr. Cone says.
He notes that hospice and palliative care can come to patients wherever they reside – in their home, an assisted living center, a nursing home, or even a hospital room.
“That doesn’t mean the physician isn’t involved,” he says. “But working as a team, we can keep them in their homes and their lifestyle intact.”
Patients whose doctors attest that they are likely to live a maximum 6 months are eligible for hospice. But most families wait too long to long to start hospice or palliative care for a patient, Mr. Cone says, and may not be aware of what these services typically cover, including meal preparation and pet care.
In the survey, nearly one-third of respondents said they did not know that palliative care is something that “can be given at any stage of a serious illness” or “provides non-medical services (e.g., patient/family communication, help with insurance issues, scheduling appointments, arranging transportation).”
He notes palliative care and hospice are covered by Medicare and Medicaid and also by most private insurance plans or by individual companies providing the service.
However, health care providers may have to overcome a general reluctance to discuss hospice when sharing options for those severely ill.
The survey showed that while 51% of those 50 and older are at least “slightly interested” in learning more about hospice, a nearly equal number say they are “not at all interested” (49%).
Most using hospice are White
More than 90% of those surveyed reported that aspects of hospice care, including “comfort and relief from pain at the end of patients’ lives,” providing a dedicated care team, and an alternative to other care settings, are “very important” or “important.”
However, national hospice use rates are extremely low for minorities and the LGBTQ community, according to Mr. Cone. Among Medicare hospice recipients, 82% were white, 8.2% Black, 6.7% Hispanic, and 1.8% Asian or Pacific Islander, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
Those numbers signal a need for outreach to those communities with information on what services are available and how to access them, he says.
Health costs top concern
The survey also asked about level of concern regarding matters including family, health, financials, and end-of-life directives and found adults aged 50 and older expressed the greatest amount of concern for health care costs that are not covered by insurance.
More than half (56%) said they were concerned or very concerned about those costs, which was higher than the percentage concerned about losing a spouse (49%).
Respondents were less concerned (“slightly concerned” or “not at all concerned”) about their children living far away, planning end-of life-directives, and falling or having reduced mobility.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.