Physician Resources

Hospice of Kitsap County Admission Criteria

Criteria for Admissions:

• A terminal illness with a prognosis of 6 months or less, if the illness runs its normal course.
• No plans for further aggressive or curative diagnostics or therapies.
• Patient is agreeable to hospice care.

Contact Hospice of Kitsap County directly at (360) 698-4611, or email referrals@hospicekc.org

Worksheets for Determining Prognosis:

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization supports the following guidelines to aid in determining prognosis in non-cancer disease. These worksheets are just a starting point in decision making in non-cancer disease. At the time of admission, clinical judgment must always be applied in each individual case to supplement these guidelines.

• Adult Failure to Thrive Syndrome Debility Unspecified (pdf.)
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (pdf.)
• Dementia/Alzheimer's (pdf.)
• Heart Disease (pdf.)
• HIV (pdf.)
• Liver Disease (pdf.)
• Renal Disease (pdf.)
• Pulmonary Disease (pdf.)
• Stroke and/or Coma (any etiology) (pdf.)
• All Other Diagnoses (pdf.)

Hospice of Kitsap County Care Center Admission Criteria

The Hospice of Kitsap County Care Center prioritizes patients for admission according to clinical, home and family/caregiver status with the goal of providing care that is reasonable and necessary for the management of the patient's terminal illness and related conditions.

Patients may be eligible for admission who are enrolled in Hospice of Kitsap County, or who elect to enroll upon admission, and who:

Have a certificate of terminal illness (CTI) signed by the primary physician and the Hospice Medical Director

• Are age 18 or older
• Are in agreement with the hospice philosophy of palliative treatment goals
• Are willing to sign an order of Do Not Resuscitate
• Are currently in a hospital, nursing home, assisted living facility, or at home and have agreed to admission in the Hospice Care Center and who require General Inpatient (GIP)level of care as indicated by one of more of the following:
• Uncontrolled pain
• Pain management requiring interventions or routes not manageable in the current setting;
• Frequent analgesic dosage adjustments or opiate rotation planned requiring close monitoring;
• Intractable GI symptoms requiring intensive management;
• Respiratory distress requiring intensive management;
• Severe decubiti or other skin lesions requiring intensive management;
• Any other physical symptom deemed to be uncontrolled in the current setting;
• Imminently dying without a caregiver, or in an unsuitable home situation
• Require Routine Home Care (RHC) due to the lack of a caregiver in the home, and need access to the hospice team for caregiver, or a patient or family in severe-psychosocial distress necessitating intensive management by the interdisciplinary team.
• Require a five-day Respite (RSP) placement
• Require Continuous Care on a one-to-ne basis to meet the pain and symptom needs of the patient for a continuous period of eight or more hours.

Exclusionary Criteria

Patients with active infection requiring airborne precautions to prevent transmission, including but not limited to measles (rubella), varicella (including disseminated zoster), and tuberculosis.

 

Patients requiring ventilatory support.

Due to the lack of bariatric facilities, patients weighing greater than 400 pounds.

All other factors being equal, a current Hospice of Kitsap County patient will be admitted to the Hospice Care Center prior to one who is not.

Hospice of Kitsap County Care Center Room and Board Fees

While all professional services, medications, and durable medical equipment related to the hospice diagnosis are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance sources, there is a separate $275.00 daily room and board rate at the Hospice Care Center.

Room and Board is covered by Medicaid, and some private insurers with a Hospice Benefit.

Room and Board is covered by Medicare only if the patient is receiving care under the General Inpatient (GIP) level of care, or the Respite (RSP) Benefit.  Some private insurance and long term care insurance benefits may also apply.  Patients without these sources pay the daily room and board rate privately.

Referrals to the Hospice Care Center

All referrals to Hospice of Kitsap County and the Hospice Care Center will be processed through the main Hospice of Kitsap County referral center.  Please call (360) 698-4611 or e-mail referral@hospicekc.org to make a referral.