Barry Baines

Yeah, typically what happens, the vast majority of people who become hospice volunteers, not surprisingly, are people who had a loved one who was in hospice and the care that they received. Hospice requires that if you did have a loved one in hospice, you had to wait a year before you could apply to be a hospice volunteer. Interesting. Okay. But the vast majority have that experience.

Yeah, typically what happens, the vast majority of people who become hospice volunteers, not surprisingly, are people who had a loved one who was in hospice and the care that they received. Hospice requires that if you did have a loved one in hospice, you had to wait a year before you could apply to be a hospice volunteer. Interesting. Okay. But the vast majority have that experience.

Yeah. So the way the benefit works, again, it's designed for people who have a life expectancy of six months or less. The reality is we don't, you know, we really don't have a crystal ball on that, okay? And it's not like, oh, your six months is up, so you can't be in hospice anymore. The way it's set up, is for under Medicare, there's a benefit periods that they call.

Yeah. So the way the benefit works, again, it's designed for people who have a life expectancy of six months or less. The reality is we don't, you know, we really don't have a crystal ball on that, okay? And it's not like, oh, your six months is up, so you can't be in hospice anymore. The way it's set up, is for under Medicare, there's a benefit periods that they call.

So the first benefit period is three months. So the person gets enrolled in hospice and three months, you know, goes by. And then if they still at that time after three months, if everyone agrees that given the likely course of their disease, their prognosis is six months or less, they, can be recertified. And then there's a second benefit period of three months. Okay.

So the first benefit period is three months. So the person gets enrolled in hospice and three months, you know, goes by. And then if they still at that time after three months, if everyone agrees that given the likely course of their disease, their prognosis is six months or less, they, can be recertified. And then there's a second benefit period of three months. Okay.

So that gets you the six months. Here's where the math gets just a little bit, changes a little bit. At the end of six months, once again, the patient comes up for recertification. Okay. They've been in hospice for six months. Has their disease been progressing while they've been in hospice? Have they been deteriorating or sort of going downhill basically.

So that gets you the six months. Here's where the math gets just a little bit, changes a little bit. At the end of six months, once again, the patient comes up for recertification. Okay. They've been in hospice for six months. Has their disease been progressing while they've been in hospice? Have they been deteriorating or sort of going downhill basically.

But yeah, they've been alive for six months, but reasonably you would expect that their prognosis is still six months or less. And so they could be recertified, then the benefit period shorten up to two months at a time. And those require the medical director making a visit to the patients wherever they are,

But yeah, they've been alive for six months, but reasonably you would expect that their prognosis is still six months or less. And so they could be recertified, then the benefit period shorten up to two months at a time. And those require the medical director making a visit to the patients wherever they are,

and agree because the medical director is the one who has the magic of signing the paper that says I recertify, you know, John Doe as being appropriate for hospice for another two months. And then, and so literally every two months, a patient can come up with recertification. And all of us have heard stories, certainly in, you know, in medicine of people who have like cancer, which

and agree because the medical director is the one who has the magic of signing the paper that says I recertify, you know, John Doe as being appropriate for hospice for another two months. And then, and so literally every two months, a patient can come up with recertification. And all of us have heard stories, certainly in, you know, in medicine of people who have like cancer, which

is a high frequency reason why people are in hospital. Though these days we also see a lot of Alzheimer's disease in the end stages, end stage Parkinson's disease, some of the neurologic diseases like ALS, what people know as Lou Gehrig's disease.

is a high frequency reason why people are in hospital. Though these days we also see a lot of Alzheimer's disease in the end stages, end stage Parkinson's disease, some of the neurologic diseases like ALS, what people know as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Heart failure is another big reason why people go into hospice as their, their heart function declines and different lung diseases, COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, those kinds of things. In addition to you know, to different, to different cancers.

Heart failure is another big reason why people go into hospice as their, their heart function declines and different lung diseases, COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, those kinds of things. In addition to you know, to different, to different cancers.

Yeah. Well, if That's a very difficult question, so I'm going to put that out there. Because the vast majority of people do have access to hospice care. In addition, I can tell you that certainly within the Twin Cities, there are many hospices that will take patients and enroll patients in their hospice if they don't have insurance. Okay. And so they provide the care.

Yeah. Well, if That's a very difficult question, so I'm going to put that out there. Because the vast majority of people do have access to hospice care. In addition, I can tell you that certainly within the Twin Cities, there are many hospices that will take patients and enroll patients in their hospice if they don't have insurance. Okay. And so they provide the care.

The focus, again, for hospice, the compassion level is very, very high. And to think that someone who has a very short life expectancy is effectively dying and having symptoms that are creating a lot of pain, oftentimes not only physical, but... you know, psychological, spiritual, and those services.

The focus, again, for hospice, the compassion level is very, very high. And to think that someone who has a very short life expectancy is effectively dying and having symptoms that are creating a lot of pain, oftentimes not only physical, but... you know, psychological, spiritual, and those services.