Kenai Peninsula Hospice LLC · Working toward Medicare certification · Seeking CHAP accreditation
Hospice care at home
Comfort, dignity and time with the people you love, in a house in Soldotna, a cabin off the highway or a family homestead.
What hospice is
Hospice is care for people with a serious illness when the focus changes from trying to cure the illness to keeping the person comfortable. It supports both the patient and the people caring for them. Most hospice care happens at home.
Choosing hospice does not mean giving up. It means getting a full team focused on comfort, so the time left can be spent the way the patient wants.
Who qualifies
A person can get hospice care when their doctor and our hospice medical director certify that they have a terminal illness and are expected to live six months or less if the illness runs its usual course.
Some people live longer than six months on hospice. As long as a doctor continues to certify that you qualify, you can keep getting hospice care. You can also stop hospice at any time.
Your team
| Hospice medical director | Oversees medical care, works with your doctor and helps manage symptoms. |
|---|---|
| Your own doctor | The doctor or nurse practitioner you choose to stay involved in your care. |
| Nurse case manager | Visits regularly, checks symptoms, manages medications and teaches caregivers. |
| Hospice aide | Helps with bathing, personal care and comfort. |
| Social worker | Helps with emotional support, planning, resources and paperwork. |
| Spiritual care | Offers spiritual and emotional support that respects your beliefs. |
| Volunteers | Provide company, a short break for caregivers and other support. |
| Grief support | Stays in touch with your family for up to one year after a death. |
What hospice covers
For the terminal illness and related conditions, hospice provides:
- Nurse visits and a nurse on call 24 hours a day
- Aide visits for personal care
- Social work, spiritual care and volunteer support
- Medications for pain and symptom control
- Medical equipment, such as a hospital bed, wheelchair, walker, commode or oxygen
- Medical supplies, such as briefs, wound care supplies and gloves
- Short-term inpatient care and respite care when needed
- Grief support for your family
Paying for hospice
Kenai Peninsula Hospice LLC is working toward Medicare certification. Until that is complete, we cannot bill Medicare for hospice care. Please call our office, and we will go over your coverage and payment options with you before care begins.
Once we are certified: Medicare Part A, Alaska Medicaid and many private insurance plans cover hospice care. Under Medicare, you may pay up to $5 for each prescription for pain and symptom control, and 5% of the Medicare-approved amount for inpatient respite care. Care for health problems not related to the terminal illness is still covered by your regular insurance.
Levels of care
- Routine home care. Most hospice care. Regular visits from the team in your home.
- Continuous home care. Short periods of extra nursing care at home during a crisis.
- General inpatient care. Short-term care in a hospital or facility when symptoms cannot be managed at home.
- Respite care. Up to five days in a facility to give the caregiver a rest.
How we care for rural Alaska
Distance, weather and small-town life shape how we give care. They never lower the standard.
Home is the center of care
We bring the team, the equipment and the medications to the patient. The patient does not have to come to us. We place comfort medications and supplies in the home before they are needed.
Families and neighbors are part of the team
Between our visits, family, friends and neighbors often do most of the hands-on care. We teach them, equip them and check on them, so they feel confident and never alone.
We honor culture and tradition
We respect Alaska Native cultures and the beliefs of every family. We ask what matters to you about language, food, prayer, ceremony and caring for the body after death. When the family wants it, we work with tribal health partners, spiritual leaders and traditional healers.
We speak plainly
Many Alaskans value self-reliance and plain talk. We speak honestly about what to expect and support each patient’s choices.
Call us before you call 911
Hospice families: call the on-call nurse at 907-260-4444 first. Calling 911 can lead to emergency treatment, an ambulance ride or a hospital stay that is not part of your hospice plan, and you may have to pay for it.
For a fire, a crime or an emergency not related to the hospice illness, call 911 right away.
Talk with us about hospice
You don’t need to wait for a doctor to bring it up. Patients and families can call us with questions, and we will work with your doctor on the next steps.