Penny Smith

It's not like if you go to the ER and they give you a little basin to puke in, there's a yellow ticket on there, they stick it on your chart. And everything that you get in the ER, they have a yellow label on it and they put it on your chart and they bill you for each thing that they give you. Hospice is a flat rate. So whatever we do for our patients, we get paid the same no matter what it is.

It's not like if you go to the ER and they give you a little basin to puke in, there's a yellow ticket on there, they stick it on your chart. And everything that you get in the ER, they have a yellow label on it and they put it on your chart and they bill you for each thing that they give you. Hospice is a flat rate. So whatever we do for our patients, we get paid the same no matter what it is.

So we are always looking for the least expensive way to do things and morphine is cheap. And it's tried and true. And it really is the gold standard for treating shortness of breath or air hunger where they can't catch their breath. It works so well. So that is typically what we use. But we use other opioids as well if we need to. Oxycodone, Dilaudid, fentanyl, methadone.

So we are always looking for the least expensive way to do things and morphine is cheap. And it's tried and true. And it really is the gold standard for treating shortness of breath or air hunger where they can't catch their breath. It works so well. So that is typically what we use. But we use other opioids as well if we need to. Oxycodone, Dilaudid, fentanyl, methadone.

So we are always looking for the least expensive way to do things and morphine is cheap. And it's tried and true. And it really is the gold standard for treating shortness of breath or air hunger where they can't catch their breath. It works so well. So that is typically what we use. But we use other opioids as well if we need to. Oxycodone, Dilaudid, fentanyl, methadone.

There are lots of other medications that we use. Fentanyl patches, fentanyl lollipops. Okay. Yep. Fentanyl infusions. We don't use fentanyl infusions in home hospice as much just because of the way we deliver infusions at home is usually through a subcutaneous route, which is just a little tiny catheter under the skin and fentanyl concentration is too high or too low.

There are lots of other medications that we use. Fentanyl patches, fentanyl lollipops. Okay. Yep. Fentanyl infusions. We don't use fentanyl infusions in home hospice as much just because of the way we deliver infusions at home is usually through a subcutaneous route, which is just a little tiny catheter under the skin and fentanyl concentration is too high or too low.

There are lots of other medications that we use. Fentanyl patches, fentanyl lollipops. Okay. Yep. Fentanyl infusions. We don't use fentanyl infusions in home hospice as much just because of the way we deliver infusions at home is usually through a subcutaneous route, which is just a little tiny catheter under the skin and fentanyl concentration is too high or too low.

And it requires more volume than a person's body can absorb with that method. So it's better for somebody that has a port, you know, like intravenous access.

And it requires more volume than a person's body can absorb with that method. So it's better for somebody that has a port, you know, like intravenous access.

And it requires more volume than a person's body can absorb with that method. So it's better for somebody that has a port, you know, like intravenous access.

If they have the ability to make the decision, then yes. It's always up to the patient. The family does not have that decision-making capability until the patient can no longer decide for themselves, and then it's whoever their legal healthcare representative is.

If they have the ability to make the decision, then yes. It's always up to the patient. The family does not have that decision-making capability until the patient can no longer decide for themselves, and then it's whoever their legal healthcare representative is.

If they have the ability to make the decision, then yes. It's always up to the patient. The family does not have that decision-making capability until the patient can no longer decide for themselves, and then it's whoever their legal healthcare representative is.

And it's important to make sure that you have a legal health care representative that will speak on your behalf for what you want and that you tell them what you want. Because a lot of people, if they don't know, are going to err on the side of what would they want for themselves or what do they feel is best.

And it's important to make sure that you have a legal health care representative that will speak on your behalf for what you want and that you tell them what you want. Because a lot of people, if they don't know, are going to err on the side of what would they want for themselves or what do they feel is best.

And it's important to make sure that you have a legal health care representative that will speak on your behalf for what you want and that you tell them what you want. Because a lot of people, if they don't know, are going to err on the side of what would they want for themselves or what do they feel is best.

And if they're afraid of a drug, morphine, fentanyl, whatever, then they're more likely to say, no, I don't want them to have that. So, you know, you really have to have conversations with your decision maker.

And if they're afraid of a drug, morphine, fentanyl, whatever, then they're more likely to say, no, I don't want them to have that. So, you know, you really have to have conversations with your decision maker.

And if they're afraid of a drug, morphine, fentanyl, whatever, then they're more likely to say, no, I don't want them to have that. So, you know, you really have to have conversations with your decision maker.