Hospice care in the nursing home.

Hospice care is being used more frequently to provide skills and services that are not otherwise available in nursing homes. For eligible terminally ill patients, the Medicare Hospice Benefit supplies an interdisciplinary team with skills in pain management, symptom control and bereavement assistance. The Medicare Hospice Benefit also covers the cost of durable medical equipment and drugs, except for a nominal drug copayment fee. The services of the hospice team supplement the usual nursing home care at a time when staff, family members and the patient are facing the increased and urgent needs associated with the dying process. The Medicare Hospice Benefit can make it much easier for physicians and nursing home staff to provide comprehensive palliative care for terminally ill patients.