Frequently Asked Questions

Below are common questions that are asked about hospice services. If you have any questions that are not answered below, feel free to contact us anytime for the answer. Gulfside Regional Hospice is here to help you make every day count.

What is hospice care?

What age and area does Gulfside serve?

Is hospice only for cancer patients?

Where is hospice care received?

Who provides hospice care?

Who pays for hospice service?

Is it O.K. to keep my own doctor?

What if my family isn’t able to take care of me?

How can I get care from Gulfside Regional Hospice?

What does the Hospice admission process involve?

What is hospice care?

Hospice describes the care provided to terminally ill patients and their families, in the comfort, security and privacy of wherever they call home. With hospice, patients are allowed to make their own decisions about how they wish to live the remainder of their lives, while continuing to receive a superior level of care.

Hospice care addresses the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of terminally ill patients who are in need of compassionate care and assistance with daily activities. Hospice provides patients with pain control, symptom management, end-of-life support and medical care. It allows patients the chance to make every day count and live life to the fullest with dignity, peace and comfort.

What age and area does Gulfside serve?

All ages are served by Gulfside Regional Hospice, from infants to the elderly with a life expectancy of six months or less, if the disease should run its normal course. Gulfside serves Pasco County, Florida exclusively and was initially licensed in 1989.

Is hospice only for cancer patients?

No, hospice care is for any patient with a life-limiting illness. Increasingly, hospices are also serving families coping with the end stages of chronic diseases, like emphysema, Alzheimer’s, heart and neuromuscular diseases.

Where is hospice care received?

Gulfside provides care wherever it works best for the patient. While most people prefer staying in their home, hospice care is also available in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and our Hospice Houses and Gulfside Centers for Hospice Care.

Who provides hospice care?

The hospice care team includes board-certified palliative care doctors, registered nurses, licensed counselors, chaplains, home health aides, therapists and volunteers to provide a mix of expertise for medical, emotional and spiritual needs for patients and their families.

Who pays for hospice service?

Services are paid by Medicare, Medicaid, HMOs, private health insurance, personal payments and charitable donations. Through community donations, we are able to provide care to all who need us, regardless of ability to pay.

Is it O.K. to keep my own doctor?

Yes. Typically a patient’s physician plays an important role on the hospice team by helping hospice develop a plan of care that best meets the patient’s needs. Your doctor will also be kept informed of your condition on a regular basis.

What if my family isn’t able to take care of me?

Typically, that’s not a problem. Hospice also serves patients who do not have family members who can serve as primary caregivers. In most cases, such patients can be served in a hospice house or another extended care facility such as an assisted living facility or nursing home.

How can I get care from Gulfside Regional Hospice?

You, a family member or your doctor simply need to contact us or fill out the referral form on this site. And we’ll help you take care of all the rest. Your doctor must certify that you have a life-limiting illness and may have six months or less to live if your illness takes its expected course.

What does the hospice admission process involve?

One of the first things hospice will do is contact the patient’s physician to make sure he or she agrees that hospice care is appropriate for this patient at this time. (Hospice may have medical staff available to help patients who have no physician.) The patient will also be asked to sign consent and insurance forms. These are similar to the forms patients sign when they enter a hospital.

The “hospice election form” says that the patient understands that the care is palliative (that is, aimed at pain relief and symptom control) rather than curative. It also outlines the services available. The form Medicare patients sign also tells how electing the Medicare hospice benefit affects other Medicare coverage for a life-limiting illness.