Hello Jimmie: I have always been intrigued with working in hospice. Before OT school, I was a hospice patient family volunteer. While in grad school, I gave a presentation to our local hospice on "The Role of OT in Hospice". Several years after graduating, I had an opportunity to work with a hospice that was JUST starting to develop a therapy department. It was great because the hospice hired a PT consultant to put things together. This PT was great (she had been around a long time). For a while, I was seeing an occasional hospice patient. But then, financial reality hit the hospice leadership and they pulled the plug on everything! All this is just to give a little background on my hospice experience.
On to your questions/statements. You are correct that hospice is paid per diem. For this payment, they are expected to provide all necessary care for their patient. Should an OT be called in, the hospice pays that therapist from this per diem payment. Thus you are 100% correct in assuming that little incentive exists to provide OT or PT services. Not that it doesn't happen, but from my experience, it happens only rarely. Other than the reimbursement issue, OT and hospice fit like a glove. I always hoped that I would work with dying patients, but I've since given up hope because hospice just won't pay for therapy services, except in a few extreme cases. At least, that's my experience. Ron ===============<Original Message>=============== On 3/31/2005, Jimmie Arceneaux <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said: JA> Question: JA> This is directed specifically to U.S. OTs, but others may JA> provide information relative to their particular practice area. I JA> have never worked in hospice care before, but I just read an JA> article about OT in hospice care. I understand the JA> philosophical basis of OT with patients that would meet hospice JA> criteria, but I am wondering how an OT would gain access to JA> hospice patients. It is my understanding, although I may be JA> wrong, that hospice is a bundled, prospective payment, under JA> Medicare. It would seem under that type of system that it JA> would be difficult to convince the powers that be of adding a JA> non-typical service (i.e. as it would affect there bottom JA> line). Is anyone currently on the list providing service to JA> hospice patients? If so, please provide information on the JA> referral process and plan of care process. JA> Thanks, JA> Jimmie Arceneaux, LOTR JA> Metro Preferred Home Care JA> 3501 N. Causeway Blvd., Ste 200 JA> Metairie, LA 70002 JA> 504-838-7080 JA> Fax 504-833-9309 -- Unsubscribe? [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] Help? [EMAIL PROTECTED]
