Eligibility Requirements
What are the Hospice Eligibility Criteria?
Comfort Quest Hospice extends its comforting care to individuals of all ages residing in LA, San Bernardino and Orange counties. To qualify for hospice care, the following criteria must be met:
- You are diagnosed with a serious and progressive illness, regardless of its nature*.
- You opt for care centered on comfort rather than curative treatment.
- Assistance is required with at least three Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), which encompass eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, mobility, and continence.
- You decide to forego aggressive medical interventions aimed at curing the illness or prolonging life artificially, such as chemotherapy, surgery, or dialysis.
- A prognosis of six months or less to live is given by your healthcare provider based on their best assessment of the illness trajectory. It's important to note that prognoses are not absolute, and many hospice patients surpass initial expectations.
- Both your primary physician and Comfort Quest Hospice review your medical records and concur that the prognosis aligns with hospice eligibility standards.
In addition to the above hospice eligibility criteria, many hospice-eligible patients have had frequent hospitalizations and/or emergency room visits over the last 6 months related to their serious illness.
General Signs & Symptoms
- Increased or uncontrolled pain.
- Progressive weight loss.
- Swallowing difficulties.
- Shortness of breath.
- Nausea/vomiting that does not respond well to medications.
- Increased edema or ascites.
- Decline in ability to perform activities of daily living.
- Frequent infections.
- Frequent hospitalizations or ER visits.
- Increased weakness and/or fatigue.
- Increased skin problems.
- Withdrawal, confusion, bedbound.
- Progressive decline, in spite of curative treatments.
*Comfort Quest Hospice’s goal is to care for you and your family if you have a life-limiting illness and are seeking comfort care. The type of life-limiting illness does not matter.