The Forgotten and Misdiagnosed Care Transition: Live Discharge From Hospice Care
Every aspect of the United States healthcare industry presents transitions in care—hospitalizations, rehabilitation, long-term care placement—each requiring careful attention. With a goal of maintaining safety during a known point of vulnerability for patients, discharge planning is required in hosp...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214221109984 |
| _version_ | 1818532238950662144 |
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| author | Stephanie P. Wladkowski PhD, LMSW Cara L. Wallace PhD, LMSW |
| author_facet | Stephanie P. Wladkowski PhD, LMSW Cara L. Wallace PhD, LMSW |
| author_sort | Stephanie P. Wladkowski PhD, LMSW |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Every aspect of the United States healthcare industry presents transitions in care—hospitalizations, rehabilitation, long-term care placement—each requiring careful attention. With a goal of maintaining safety during a known point of vulnerability for patients, discharge planning is required in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies under Medicare guidelines. Yet, no required discharge planning or clear guidelines are available for a discharge from hospice; it is a forgotten care transition in our healthcare system. Of the 1.6 million Medicare recipients hospices serve each year, hospices discharge 17.4% alive. Under Medicare regulations, if clinicians cannot document acceptable patient decline, then patients are decertified from hospice categorized as “no longer terminally ill”, otherwise known as a live discharge. These patients are often referred to as “not dying fast enough,” or “failure to die on time,” as ultimately, they are still dying, and they are still terminally ill, just not within the prescribed 6-month framework. This paper outlines what is known about the occurrences and experiences of live discharge from hospice care and provides suggestions for improving both practice and policy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T17:42:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-62f42889956645ce9bb623f4d0e4e36d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2333-7214 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T17:42:54Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-62f42889956645ce9bb623f4d0e4e36d2022-12-22T00:56:28ZengSAGE PublishingGerontology and Geriatric Medicine2333-72142022-07-01810.1177/23337214221109984The Forgotten and Misdiagnosed Care Transition: Live Discharge From Hospice CareStephanie P. Wladkowski PhD, LMSW0Cara L. Wallace PhD, LMSW1Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, USASaint Louis University, MO, USAEvery aspect of the United States healthcare industry presents transitions in care—hospitalizations, rehabilitation, long-term care placement—each requiring careful attention. With a goal of maintaining safety during a known point of vulnerability for patients, discharge planning is required in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies under Medicare guidelines. Yet, no required discharge planning or clear guidelines are available for a discharge from hospice; it is a forgotten care transition in our healthcare system. Of the 1.6 million Medicare recipients hospices serve each year, hospices discharge 17.4% alive. Under Medicare regulations, if clinicians cannot document acceptable patient decline, then patients are decertified from hospice categorized as “no longer terminally ill”, otherwise known as a live discharge. These patients are often referred to as “not dying fast enough,” or “failure to die on time,” as ultimately, they are still dying, and they are still terminally ill, just not within the prescribed 6-month framework. This paper outlines what is known about the occurrences and experiences of live discharge from hospice care and provides suggestions for improving both practice and policy.https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214221109984 |
| spellingShingle | Stephanie P. Wladkowski PhD, LMSW Cara L. Wallace PhD, LMSW The Forgotten and Misdiagnosed Care Transition: Live Discharge From Hospice Care Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine |
| title | The Forgotten and Misdiagnosed Care Transition: Live Discharge From Hospice Care |
| title_full | The Forgotten and Misdiagnosed Care Transition: Live Discharge From Hospice Care |
| title_fullStr | The Forgotten and Misdiagnosed Care Transition: Live Discharge From Hospice Care |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Forgotten and Misdiagnosed Care Transition: Live Discharge From Hospice Care |
| title_short | The Forgotten and Misdiagnosed Care Transition: Live Discharge From Hospice Care |
| title_sort | forgotten and misdiagnosed care transition live discharge from hospice care |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214221109984 |
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