Determining the correct hospice care you or a family member requires at the end-of-life may seem such as for instance a daunting task to take on during an already difficult time. In a recent blog describing hospice and palliative care, I’ve received many responses from readers who would like to know how to pick a hospice program that’s right for them. Many of these readers have shared their experiences with me on hospice care; some great, and others bad. I have compiled some tips from industry experts to help take the guesswork out of choosing a hospice hospice care provider.
One of the first things to remember when beginning your look for hospice care is to realize hospices are first and foremost a small business, and while a well-intended business, they want yours. Nevertheless, it`s vital that you ask questions and get answers before committing to anything. Differences between hospices are often hard to ascertain because they tend to provide similar services. While memberships in state hospice organizations and The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) may appear impressive, they’re offered to any hospice. What does matter is a hospice is Medicare certified, as Medicare offers the baseline requirements for quality care.
To qualify for Medicare certification, hospices must offer 16 separate core and auxiliary services. Core services include bereavement counseling, nutritional services and doctor services. Continuous home care, physical therapy, medication administration and household services are all examples of auxiliary services. Also important is whether a hospice need your insurance. The Hospice Blog offers some very nice advice and tips that will assist streamline the search process for you. First, find out who owns the hospice agency you’re considering, and what the owner`s background is. May be the hospice service nonprofit, for profit or government operated? The kind of ownership may influence the services a hospice patient receives. And talk to the administrator when contacting a hospice.
Let’s face it, the administrator has the authority to say yes or no to anything the hospice office assistant or hospice employer has promised you. When you yourself have found a hospice that meets your preferences, make certain it’s the home office, rather than a branch. Generally, the nurse who resides at the home office has access to the individual in charge. Branch offices tend not to have employees who make financial or business decisions. Finally, before picking a hospice, find out where in fact the on-call nurse lives. If the nurse lives far from the individual requiring hospice care, the response time will need longer.