A recent Tempo/Lake article (“Life before death,” July 27) was very touching and to the point. But a significant inaccuracy should be addressed.
Hospice is appropriate only for those patients diagnosed with a terminal illness that will end their lives within about six months. The story mistakenly indicated that one patient received hospice care for three years. In fact, she was our patient from January to July 1997, dying nearly six months from the date she was admitted to our care.
Patients are regularly evaluated for appropriateness for hospice. If they no longer meet hospice admission criteria, they are discharged to other resources and readmitted when appropriate. Not following these protocols, and others required by Medicare and the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), would be fraudulent and could lead to loss of licensure for the hospice involved.
