What Happens When You Get Sick on Hospice

Apr 16

Your mother's been on hospice for a few weeks now, and she's resting more comfortably than she has in months. Then one morning, she wakes up with a fever and a cough. It looks like a chest cold, maybe something she caught from a visiting grandchild.

Your first thought: what do we do now? Can hospice help with this, or do we need to go to the hospital?

This is one of the most common concerns Oklahoma families share with us, but don’t worry, our hospice team is prepared for exactly this kind of situation.

Hospice Doesn't Stop When New Symptoms Appear

Many families assume that hospice care only addresses the life-limiting illness. Your hospice team actually looks at the whole picture and responds to new symptoms and illnesses that come up along the way. Here's how coverage works: the hospice benefit pays for medications, equipment, and treatment related to the life-limiting illness. If your loved one needs care for a separate condition, like diabetes medication or an unrelated infection, that goes through their regular insurance.

Research published in BMC Palliative Care shows that nearly 50% of patients nearing the end of life experience an infection. This is common because serious illness weakens the immune system. Your hospice team expects these situations and knows how to handle them.

How Your Hospice Team Responds

Here's what typically happens when a hospice patient gets sick with something new:

The hospice nurse assesses the situation. You call your hospice team, and a nurse visits to evaluate your loved one. They check vital signs, review symptoms, and determine what's happening.
The hospice nurse updates the care plan. Based on the assessment, the nurse may talk with the doctor about adjusting medications, recommend new comfort measures, or increase the frequency of visits. The goal is always to address the new symptoms without adding unnecessary stress.
Treatment focuses on comfort. For symptoms related to the life-limiting illness, your hospice team can use medications to bring down a fever, ease a cough, or relieve pain. For unrelated conditions, the team helps coordinate care with your loved one’s regular doctor.
You stay informed. The care team explains what's happening, what to watch for, and when to call. You're never left guessing.

Can Hospice Patients Receive Antibiotics?

This is a question families ask often, and the answer is yes, in many cases.

Hospice teams can use antibiotics when they help relieve uncomfortable symptoms related to the life-limiting illness. For example, a urinary tract infection can cause burning, urgency, and confusion in older adults, and treating it with a short course of antibiotics can bring real relief.

The decision depends on the patient's goals and overall condition. Your hospice team will talk with you about whether treatment will improve comfort and quality of life, and the conversation always centers on what your loved one would want.

When antibiotics are part of the hospice comfort care plan, Medicare's hospice benefit covers them. If they're prescribed for a condition unrelated to the life-limiting illness, your loved one's regular insurance handles the cost.

What About Emergencies?

Sometimes a new illness creates a more urgent situation. A sudden spike in pain, severe breathing difficulty, or uncontrolled symptoms can feel like a crisis.

The important thing to know is that you don't have to handle a crisis alone. Your hospice team is available around the clock, and there are options in place to provide the level of care your loved one needs.

Medicare’s hospice benefit includes four levels of care to help manage these situations:

Routine home care: the standard day-to-day support your loved one receives at home.
Continuous home care: when symptoms become severe, a nurse can provide additional care in your home to manage the crisis. This is sometimes called crisis care.
General inpatient care: if the team can't manage symptoms at home, they may move your loved one to a facility for short-term intensive comfort care.
Respite care: short-term inpatient care that gives family caregivers a needed break.

The important thing to know is that you don't have to handle a crisis alone. Your hospice team is available around the clock, and there are options in place to provide the level of care your loved one needs.

Why This Approach Helps Families

One of the greatest benefits of hospice care during an unexpected illness is that your loved one can stay home. Hospital emergency rooms are loud, crowded, and stressful. For someone who's already living with a serious illness, a trip to the ER can be exhausting and disorienting.

When a new symptom appears, the team comes to you and manages the problem in the comfort of your home, surrounded by familiar people and things.

Hospice brings the care to your loved one. When a new symptom appears, the team comes to you and manages the problem in the comfort of your home, surrounded by familiar people and things.

Oklahoma families tell us they feel less anxious knowing they've got a team to call at any hour. You don't have to decide alone whether a symptom is serious. Just pick up the phone and your hospice nurse helps you figure out the next step.

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