Being diagnosed with a life-limiting illness is a daunting ordeal to navigate. Not only are you hit with shear shock at first but have to contend with information overload on your “where to from here” journey.
The standard path normally looks something like this. Once your condition has been diagnosed and a treatment plan put in place, either your treating doctor or you as the patient will need to contact your medical aid for treatment authorization. At this point you will register on your medical aid’s programme and should be assigned a care coordinator.
There is a life-limiting illness benefit under most medical aid ensuring you don’t need to tap into your medical savings or hospital plan for palliative care. This is where your medical aid really works for you without any extra premiums!
A care coordinator is so important! This person will be assigned to you and will guide you through the medical aid’s programme. Each medical aid has a different programme that allows for different benefits, and this is where Hospice East Rand can also guide you. We will work with your care coordinator to ensure you are covered in all aspects.
It is important to remember that if you fit the criteria, it is never too early to sign up with Hospice East Rand. Palliative care is a journey through your life-limiting illness and the sooner we are able to join you on this journey, the better we can support and care for you and your family holistically.
Some benefits within the medical aid schemes include:
- home based nursing care
- psychosocial worker visits
- Hospice East Rand doctor visits
- oxygen
- hospital beds
If you are not sure how to move forward or where to go, Hospice East Rand is here to guide you from the time you have been diagnosed. Reaching out to Hospice is not signing your death sentence. It is reaching out for holistic support which includes medical, psychological, and spiritual support for both you and your family members.
For more information on how your medical aid can work for you please contact Wendy Hitchings on wendy@hospiceeastrand.co.za or 011 422 1531.