Criteria for Admission

Admission to our Hospice program is made upon the recommendation of your physician, and is based on your needs. Typically, appropriate candidates for hospice are patients

• With a life expectancy of six months or less

• Who desire palliative care / comfort care

• Who want to stay at home, which is defined as the patient’s residence

• Who desire no aggressive medical treatment

The following guidelines are used to assist the physician and hospice Medical Director in making a judgment regarding an individual’s eligibility for hospice care.

patient has a declining functional status determined by:

• A Karnofsky Performance Status of 50% or less

  • The KPS rubric is an evaluation that assesses a person’s ability to function independently

• Dependence in 3 out of 6 Activities of Daily Living

• Frequent hospitalizations

• Frequent trips to the ER

• Weight loss of 10% or more in the last 4 to 6 months

• Serum Albumin less than 2.5 gm/dL

  • Albumin is a component of protein and makes up one half of plasma protein

• Patient and family have elected comfort care rather than curative treatment