ED to Home with Hospice Telehealth
Is your patient ready for hospice care?
VITAS remains a committed provider and partner during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are ready to leverage our mobility-first platform and telehealth services to ensure continued support for your patients, their families, and your facility.
From 24/7/365 care coordination and spiritual/psychosocial support, to seamless care transitions and intensive bereavement care, VITAS continues to deliver the services that you and your patients rely on, even we are unable to be physically present.
A COVID-19 Case Study
FG, an 88-year-old patient who has been hospitalized twice in the past four months for advanced cardiac disease, presents to the emergency department (ED) with shortness of breath.
Carla, his daughter, prefers to care for FG at home, per his wishes, but she needs help to manage his symptoms and medical needs. She fears having visitors in the home because of COVID-19.
The ED physician contacts VITAS via FaceTime and determines, with a VITAS physician, that FG is eligible for hospice care at home.
- VITAS nurse admits FG to hospice care via a FaceTime telehealth call with FG and Carla in the ED, and FG is discharged to hospice care at home
- A VITAS continuous care nurse is assigned to care for FG at his bedside at home for a temporary, 12-hour shift to stabilize his symptoms
- VITAS nurse adjusts and orders medications to manage FG’s fluids, and oxygen for his labored breathing
- VITAS nurse educates Carla on caring for her father when the nurse is not present
- VITAS social worker provides emotional support to Carla via telehealth to help her manage anxiety
- Once FG’s symptoms stabilize, the VITAS care plan for FG shifts to twice-daily telehealth visits and a weekly in-person visit by the VITAS nurse
- VITAS clinicians remain available 24/7 via Telecare phone support to answer Carla’s questions and manage FG’s symptoms to keep him comfortably at home
The need for hospice is constant. Our services are constant, too. Trust VITAS, the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care, to support your patients, families, and staff throughout this crisis and long after it’s over.