When a loved one is experiencing symptoms that have become too challenging to be managed at home, knowing what care options are available can bring comfort and peace of mind. Inpatient hospice care may be the most appropriate choice under these circumstances, so understanding inpatient hospice criteria is an important next step. 

In this article, we’ll help you understand what qualifies a patient for inpatient hospice care, consider how decisions are made, and address other important questions you may have.

At 3HC, we’re dedicated to providing comprehensive inpatient hospice services while treating you like family. Our inpatient hospice care centers provide expert, compassionate care, along with superior comfort and quality of life in an environment that feels like your own home. We invite you to get in touch with us to learn more and get care. 

What Can Qualify a Patient for Inpatient Hospice?

Inpatient hospice care is a specialized care setting for when your loved one’s symptoms are too severe or complex to be managed at home. It’s not a hospital or a nursing home, but a peaceful setting where the goal is to manage symptoms and improve comfort.  

Patients already eligible for hospice services qualify. Qualification is based on medical need, not on a specific diagnosis or stage of illness.

Inpatient hospice eligibility decisions are made by the patient’s doctor in collaboration with the interdisciplinary hospice team. 

What Symptoms May Require Inpatient Hospice Care?

Some symptoms are especially difficult to manage at home because they require intravenous medications, specialized equipment, ongoing nursing assessment or quick changes in treatment protocol. 

Symptoms and conditions that may require inpatient hospice care include:

• Uncontrolled pain that does not improve with standard medication adjustments
• Complex wound care that requires frequent attention
• Procedures for patient comfort, such as a drainage tube
• Severe shortness of breath or respiratory distress
• Recurring or uncontrolled seizures
• Persistent nausea or vomiting
• Fracture care
• Administering and monitoring IV medications 
• Other symptoms or conditions in which continuous nursing care is necessary 

3HC inpatient hospice care centers provide a home-like environment with compassionate around-the-clock care focused on comfort and relief, in a calm, supportive environment.

Can You Transition Back Home from Inpatient Hospice?

Yes, many patients return home after an inpatient hospice stay. Inpatient hospice services are often used as temporary care to help stabilize symptoms, adjust medications and establish an effective care plan. 

Once symptoms improve and your loved one’s condition is stable, our team at 3HC will work closely with both patient and family to plan a safe, comfortable return home. At this point, home hospice care services can resume, ensuring continuous support and quality of care.

What Criteria is Used to Determine If a Patient Can Move Back to In-Home Hospice?

Our team will carefully evaluate the decision to transition your loved one back to in-home hospice care. 

We’ll consider the following factors to make a discharge decision:

• Whether pain or symptoms are stable and manageable with oral or scheduled medications
• Whether caregivers feel prepared and supported to continue providing care at home
• Whether continuous nursing monitoring is no longer necessary
• Whether the home environment is safe and supportive  

Our hospice team works collaboratively with both patients and families to ensure a safe and well-planned return to home hospice care focused on safety, comfort and dignity. 

What is GIP (General Inpatient Hospice Care)?

General Inpatient (GIP) hospice care is one of the four levels of hospice care recognized by Medicare under the Medicare Hospice Benefit. The other levels include Routine Home Care, Continuous Home Care and Respite Care.

GIP care can be used when the patient’s medical condition requires a short-term inpatient stay for symptoms that cannot be managed or controlled in another setting, including the home. GIP care can be provided in:

• A hospital 
• A hospice inpatient unit 
• A Medicare-certified skilled nursing facility (SNF,) if the facility meets certain requirements, such as the availability of 24-hour nursing care 

3HC provides inpatient care wherever the patient calls home, whether in one of the settings above, or at one of our inpatient hospice care centers.

The length of stay varies based on the patient’s condition. Regular reviews by the hospice care team are required to confirm continued need.

GIP care is not meant for long-term residential care, but rather, symptom control and stabilization. Once symptoms improve, the hospice team will determine the next appropriate level of care, which may be a transition to in-home hospice care.

3HC Inpatient Hospice Services: Expert, Compassionate Care for Your Loved Ones

At 3HC, we provide compassionate patient-centered hospice care to support you and your loved ones through every transition while ensuring dignity and comfort. For those times when symptoms can’t be managed at home, our inpatient hospice care centers offer the extra support you need in a comfortable setting that feels like home. 

We’ve been serving North Carolina families for decades and we’re dedicated to providing comprehensive inpatient hospice services while treating you like family. If you have questions about inpatient hospice care or want to learn more about how 3HC can support your family, we invite you to get in touch with us to learn more and get care.