135J.1 - DEFINITIONS.
135J.1 DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this chapter unless otherwise defined:
1. "Core services" means physician services, nursing
services, medical social services, counseling services, and volunteer
services. These core services, as well as others deemed necessary by
the hospice in delivering safe and appropriate care to its case load,
can be provided through either direct or indirect arrangement by the
hospice.
2. "Department" means the department of inspections and
appeals.
3. "Hospice patient" or "patient" means a diagnosed
terminally ill person with an anticipated life expectancy of six
months or less, as certified by the attending physician, who, alone
or in conjunction with a unit of care as defined in subsection 8, has
voluntarily requested and received admission into the hospice
program. If the patient is unable to request admission, a family
member may voluntarily request and receive admission on the patient's
behalf.
4. "Hospice patient's family" means the immediate kin of the
patient, including a spouse, parent, stepparent, brother, sister,
stepbrother, stepsister, child, or stepchild. Additional relatives
or individuals with significant personal ties to the hospice patient
may be included in the hospice patient's family.
5. "Hospice program" means a centrally coordinated program of
home and inpatient care provided directly or through an agreement
under the direction of an identifiable hospice administration
providing palliative care and supportive medical and other health
services to terminally ill patients and their families. A licensed
hospice program shall utilize a medically directed interdisciplinary
team and provide care to meet the physical, emotional, social,
spiritual, and other special needs which are experienced during the
final stages of illness, dying, and bereavement. Hospice care shall
be available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
6. "Interdisciplinary team" means the hospice patient and the
hospice patient's family, the attending physician, and all of the
following individuals trained to serve with a licensed hospice
program:
a. A licensed physician pursuant to chapter 148.
b. A licensed registered nurse pursuant to chapter 152.
c. An individual with at least a baccalaureate degree in the
field of social work providing medical-social services.
d. Trained hospice volunteers.
e. As deemed appropriate by the hospice, providers of special
services including but not limited to a spiritual counselor, a
pharmacist, or professionals in the fields of mental health may be
included on the interdisciplinary team.
7. "Palliative care" means care directed at managing symptoms
experienced by the hospice patient, as well as addressing related
needs of the patient and family as they experience the stress of the
dying process. The intent of palliative care is to enhance the
quality of life for the hospice patient and family unit, and is not
treatment directed at cure of the terminal illness.
8. "Unit of care" means the patient and the patient's family
within a hospice program.
9. "Volunteer services" means the services provided by
individuals who have successfully completed a training program
developed by a licensed hospice program. Section History: Recent Form
84 Acts, ch 1284, § 2
C85, § 135.90
90 Acts, ch 1204, § 66
C91, § 135J.1
2005 Acts, ch 3, §32; 2008 Acts, ch 1088, §91; 2009 Acts, ch 133,
§196
Referred to in § 144C.2, 331.802