Levels of Care

There are four levels of care under the hospice benefit:

Routine Home Care – usually provided in a residential setting such as the patient’s home, a long term care facility or a group home. Nursing visits are intermittent with the frequency of visits based on the patient’s acuity level and as determined by the IDG (Interdisciplinary Group) and the Plan of Care.

In Patient Care – a temporary stay in a 24-hour nursing facility or inpatient unit to address symptoms that cannot be managed under routine home care, focusing on a medical crisis with the eventual plans of returning to routine home care once the uncontrolled symptom has been managed.

Respite Care – 5 day stay in a 24-hour nursing facility to relieve the patient’s primary caregiver.

Continuous Care – Frequent nursing care provided in the residential setting to address a medical crisis and/or uncontrolled symptoms when transfer to an inpatient setting is not possible.

Americare Hospice has a free-standing inpatient unit called The Villa.