Earlier Referral Allows You to Remain in Control of Your Patient’s Treatment Options

Hospice Benefits are completely covered by Medicare/Medicaid
Patients can save money on Medications, DME and Medical Supplies
Ensures that your patient’s wishes to spend their last days at home are met
- According to a Gallop Poll, 9 out of 10 Americans say they would prefer to be cared for in their own home or a family member’s home if they were terminally ill and had 6 months to live.
Hospice Services will maximize your patients Quality of life
- Research published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found that Medicare beneficiaries who opted for end-of-life hospice care lived, on average 29 days longer than similar patients who did not take advantage of hospice.(Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 2007)
Provide your patients and families who are coping with a life-limiting illness ample time to deal with issues such as: business decisions, advanced care planning, estates and wills, funeral arrangements, etc.
Intensive pain and symptom management that eliminates or reduces unnecessary hospitalizations/ER visits

The average length of service for Medicare patients enrolled in hospice in 2016 was 71 days. The median length of service was 24 days. (NHPCO 2017.)
Patients with a principal diagnosis of dementia had the largest number of days of care on average in 2016. Dementia diagnosis 54 days of care, Cardiac and Circulatory 30 days of care, Stroke 22 days of care, Respiratory 21 days of care, Cancer 19 days of care. (NHPCO 2017.)
In 2016 most days of care were provided at a private residence at 55.6% (NHPCO 2017.)
In 2010, the median length of service for hospice patients was 19.7 days. Furthermore, 35.3% of these patients died within 7 days of admission and 49.4% of patients died within 14 days of admission. (NHPCO 2011)
Findings of a recent major study of hospice care in America demonstrates that hospice services help reduce Medicare expenditures by $2,309 per hospice user. (Social Science and Medicine 2007)
In general, researchers have found that doctors tend to overestimate patient survival by a factor of 3 to 5. (New York Times 2007)
In surveys after patient’s deaths, more than 98% of family members say they would recommend hospice to a loved one or friend. (New York Times 2009)
A study of patients dying of cancer and their caregivers has found that individuals who die in the hospital or ICU had a worse quality of life at the end of their lives compared to those cancer patients who died at home with hospice services. (Medical News Today 2010)

Discussion Questions

At what point in a patient’s disease process do you start thinking/talking about hospice care?
Would you consider referring earlier to Wren if we could prevent that patient from having that last hospitalization?
In your opinion, what is the optimal length of time you would like your patient’s to receive hospice for?
- 1-2 weeks
- 1 month
- 2-3 months
- 6 months
Do you have patient(s) with multiple Emergency Room or Hospital visits in the last 3 months?
Is there a patient that we could assist with Advanced Care Planning (Living Wills, Healthcare Power of Attorney)?
Do you have a patient(s) that would like to have more information on hospice services?

Please contact us at (864) 326-3242- Greer Office, (864)642-1279- Anderson Office, or email info@wrenhospice.com if we can assist you or a patient.

Greer Office
Phone: (864) 326-3242
Email: info@wrenhospice.com
Fax: (864) 326-3433

Wren Hospice
955 W. Wade Hampton Blvd
Suite 3A
Greer SC 29650
United States
Phone: (864) 326-3242
Fax: (864) 326-3433

Anderson Office

1801 North Main Street
Suite B
Anderson, SC 29621
United States
Phone: (864) 642-1279
Fax: (864) 642-0534

Charleston Office

7410 Northside Dr.

Suite 280

N. Charleston, SC 29420

p. 843-380-9060

f. 843-380-9093