What hospice care covers.
An overview of the Medicare hospice benefit and the four levels of hospice care — the same services Lily Hospice provides today across Michigan, and the same services the Vetted Care partnership will offer to participating veterans when operational.
Four levels of hospice care.
Medicare defines four levels of hospice care, and every hospice patient may move between them as needs change. When the Vetted Care × Lily Hospice partnership is operational, all four levels will be coordinated by Lily Hospice’s clinical team, with the partnership’s veteran-focused program design layered on top.
1. Routine Home Hospice Care
The foundation of hospice. A coordinated team — registered nurse, hospice aide, social worker, chaplain, and volunteer — visits the patient on a regular schedule designed around the care plan.
- Pain and symptom management by licensed nurses
- Personal care assistance from trained hospice aides
- Emotional and practical support from a medical social worker
- Spiritual care from a chaplain, on request and across all faiths and traditions
- Medications, medical equipment, and supplies related to the hospice diagnosis
2. Continuous Home Care
When symptoms intensify, the level of care increases without moving the patient. Continuous home care provides skilled nursing presence for extended periods so that an acute episode can be managed where the patient is most comfortable. Available when clinical criteria are met under the Medicare hospice benefit.
3. General Inpatient Care
For symptom crises that cannot be safely managed at home, inpatient hospice care is provided at a contracted facility. The hospice care team continues to coordinate, advocating for the patient and family throughout the inpatient stay.
4. Respite Care
Caring for someone you love is a calling, and it is also exhausting. Respite care provides a planned, short-term inpatient stay so primary caregivers can rest, travel, recover from their own health issues, or simply catch their breath. It is one of the most underused benefits in hospice — and one of the most valuable.
What Medicare hospice covers.
The Medicare hospice benefit covers far more than most families realize. Below is what comes with hospice care when delivered by a Medicare-certified hospice like Lily Hospice — at no out-of-pocket cost when the patient is enrolled.
Clinical Care
- Physician oversight
- Skilled nursing visits
- Pain and symptom management
- Wound care
- Medication management
Personal & Practical
- Hospice aide visits
- Bathing and personal care
- Medical equipment delivery
- Hospice medications & supplies
- Care coordination
Emotional & Spiritual
- Social worker support
- Chaplain visits
- Trained volunteer companionship
- Family counseling
- 13 months of bereavement support
What the partnership is designed to add.
The end of life can surface memories and experiences that civilian hospice teams are not always equipped to recognize. The Vetted Care partnership is being designed so the care plans Lily Hospice delivers reflect service history, combat exposure, military culture, and the spiritual and emotional needs that come with a life of service.
These program elements are part of what the partnership will offer when operational. They are layered on top of Lily’s existing clinical care, not a replacement for it.
Veteran-Focused PlansPlanned veteran-specific program elements
- Care planning that recognizes combat exposure and service-connected conditions
- VA hospice benefit navigation and coordination
- Honoring military funeral and burial wishes
- Pinning ceremonies and recognition rituals
- Connecting families to VA survivor benefits
- Bilingual and culturally competent care coordinators for diverse veteran communities
Program elements above are planned. They will become available to participating veterans when the partnership is operational.
If you or a loved one needs hospice today, call Lily Hospice.
The Vetted Care partnership is not yet operational. Lily Hospice is accepting patients across its Michigan service area now and provides all the Medicare hospice services described on this page.
☎ Lily Hospice: (248) 955-5100