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Will Hospice help get a patient "into" their home?
Currently my dad is an a transitional care unit. We are going to be determining with the doctor whether or not it is time for Hospice. Dilemma- my parents live in our home in the finished inlaw suite below us. That is where he would need to be with my mom and his dogs. It is his home. He is immobile and cannot get to that bottom level on his own or with our family's assistance.
Would hospice provide assistance on getting him down to that level for us?

A medical transport company is a good option.
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Reply to AnnetteDe
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Move him with ambulance assistance. At the time of the move, the facility can document that he is not ambulatory at all, can not sit up for any period of time, must lay down for the trip. Medicare covers trips via ambulance or van transport with appropriate documentation. Being able to sit up would mean a van transport with/without wheelchair. Not being able to sit up gets you the ambulance, non emergency transport.
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Reply to my2cents
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I am not clear on why you are asking us vs hospice?
Call them.
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Reply to TouchMatters
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Discuss his release with the social worker for the facility. You may be asked how dad would get out that patio door in case of fire. I knew someone immobilized by a broken ankle who insisted on going back to a vacation house with living area on an upper level with stairs that ended in a slope on the ground as you describe. The hospital wouldn’t release him until his nephew, a fireman, and a son agreed to stay with him there. The fireman was the key to his staying safe. However, no one monitored that the fireman actually stayed! He had to leave and so did my friend and his son at that point.
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Reply to Fawnby
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Medical transport should be able to handle this.
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Reply to Taarna
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Rouqefort: Speak with the ambulance transportation company handling this to ascertain that it's feasible. Now that I see that you have a patio door to his accommodations, that should help.
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Reply to Llamalover47
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When my husband was released from the hospital to in-home hospice, transport was arranged by staff at the hospital to get him from the hospital to our home and a team from the local ambulance squad met us here at the house to assist with lifting. Four days later, it became obvious in-home hospice wasn't working and we needed to move him to a hospice house. A hospice social worker arranged for a lifting team to be here when the transport vehicle arrived to take him to Mercy House.
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Reply to graygrammie
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ambulance transport can be arranged by hospice if dad is already a patient with hospice, if not, the hospital will arrange it and it may fall into dad to be billed, wither way it’s something they e done many many times .
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Reply to Jdjn99
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I would call the fire department and ask if they could come take a look at your situation.
Also I would call several hospice and compare services, they are not all the same. When the hospital recommends one to you it is probably just the next one they have on rotation unless you live in an area where there are very few hospice providers. You could ask the hospital now for several for you to speak to for whenever your dad is at that point. You can also go to Medicare.gov compare hospice. Make sure you are on the Medicare.gov site and enter your zip code to find the ones in your area.
Be aware when you talk to a hospice community adviser that they may tell you of services hospice covers or you may read on Medicare.gov of a service they deem as covered by hospice but the INDIVIDUAL provider may NOT decide to offer or may not be able to offer the same services. They do seem to be a bit regional on what services they offer. So what I tell you is my experience.
The hospice we use for my DH Aunt took her to and from ALF, SNF, Hospital. No charge. And it was through a separate company they contacted.
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Reply to 97yroldmom
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When my mother was released from transitional care to home hospice, hospice included transportation. It was a separate company, but hospice made the arrangements. The transport personnel inquired about access to the home and were prepared to deal with stairs if necessary. We were asked whether it would be better to transport her on a gurney or a wheelchair, based on her condition. I would expect that your hospice would do something similar.
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Reply to elcee499
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I saw there is a patio door at his living level. Can you put a driveway down there?
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Reply to Samjam
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The transport that would be contacted to bring your dad home would be able to get him to the level in your home.
My biggest concern would be what would happen in an emergency and you had to get your dad out in case of a fire or other emergency? Yes calling 911 would bring people that could help but when minutes matter getting him out should be priority.
I would make sure that there is a way that he could be easily taken out and no t by a "legal" egress window.
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Reply to Grandma1954
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Rouqefort Nov 5, 2024
Thank you so much for your advice. I neglected to say in my question that there is a patio door exit from their home below. The way around back is a sloped yard that is the issue, especially once winter sets in. Trying to get him home before first snowfall.
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Is there any way you could take advantage of that rear entrance on his floor for all times, in and out, instead of only emergencies? A long way around, but safer, and since no one in the family can manage him on the stairs, maybe look at any changes that could be made to make it easier. Maybe a railing on the slope or a new ramp built? Hospice doesn't come every day, do they? And they tend to not run on a tight schedule either in my experience.
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Reply to ArtistDaughter
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My parents always lived in separate rooms, and in their present house on separate floors. Once we put him on hospice, we requested the fire department move him down to the main floor where my mom lived and where the front door is so that we could wheel dad to the backyard or wherever.
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Reply to PeggySue2020
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Can you add a stair lift? In a medical emergency an ambulance can transport him, but, if it’s determined that he’s not yet ready for hospice, you will need to be able to get him in and out of the house for doctor visits.
I couldn’t find a medical transport service for my mom that would transfer in/out of the home for liability reasons. They all said it was curbside only and only an ambulance would be able to help move her in and out of her home. However, she was not under hospice care so I can’t speak to that.
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Reply to HappyGarden
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Jdjn99 Nov 10, 2024
A non emergency stretcher can always be scheduled. I’ve done it for my mom not on hospice. Yes, we paid for it
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Speak with Dicharge Planning.
This will be ambulance transport home almost certainly required.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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If your dad is under hospice care before he leaves the transitional care unit, hospice will cover an ambulance to bring him home and the EMT's will bring him in on their stretcher to where ever you want him.
However, it may just be easier now to have hospice set up a hospital bed in your living room or spare bedroom upstairs as that may just be easier for all involved and in the long run.
And I know that a lot of folks are saying that hospice won't cover your dads transport, but I had to have my late husband transported several different times, first from hospice home back to our home and then to and from hospital back to our home, and then again to hospice home and back, and hospice ALWAYS covered the cost of transport.
So this shouldn't be an issue at all as long as your dad is under hospice care BEFORE he leaves the care center.
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Reply to funkygrandma59
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Rouqefort Nov 5, 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience, I sincerely appreciate it. This is a game changer if available and I will inquire.
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No, but what are you going to do if there is a fire?

it sounds like dad is getting set up in your dining room
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Reply to southernwave
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Rouqefort Nov 5, 2024
There is a rear entrance to the house for their level. We would be able to wheel him out that door in the case of an emergency onto the back patio and into the yard. What makes entering tricky is the slight slope on the side of the house that would lead to that rear entrance. Thank you for taking the time to respond.
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I would very much doubt this falls under the hospice services. My dad’s hospice agency provided excellent advice, all needed supplies, an aide, nurse visits, but little in the way of hands on care. It was a huge challenge to keep up, especially as dad weakened toward the end. For what you need, I think you likely need a medical transport service to provide the transfer
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Reply to Daughterof1930
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Rouqefort Nov 5, 2024
Thank you for your sharing your insight.
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You can ask, but they are not too helpful with that stuff. If it was me I'd call the local emergency station, but I'm in a small town, and the fire department is across from me, so I'm sure they would volunteer to help.

If you belong to a church group, maybe they could help.

Very sorry about your Dad.
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Reply to Anxietynacy
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Rouqefort Nov 5, 2024
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond.
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