Determining the right hospice care you or even a family member requires at the end-of-life may appear like a daunting task to take on during a currently difficult time. In a recently available blog describing hospice and palliative care, I’ve received many responses from readers who wish to know how to select a hospice program that’s right for them. A number of these readers have shared their experiences with me on hospice care; the right, and others bad. I’ve compiled some suggestions from industry experts to help take the guesswork out of selecting a hospice hospice care.
One of many first what to remember when beginning your look for hospice care is to appreciate hospices are first and foremost a company, and while a well-intended business, they desire yours. That said, it`s vital that you ask questions and get answers before committing to anything. Differences between hospices are often hard to find out as they tend to offer similar services. While memberships in state hospice organizations and The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) may sound impressive, these are offered to any hospice. What does matter is that a hospice is Medicare certified, as Medicare supplies 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 typical examples of auxiliary services. Also important is whether a hospice will accept your insurance. The Hospice Blog offers some good advice and tips that will help streamline the search process for you. First, find out who owns the hospice agency you are considering, and what the owner`s background is. Is the hospice service nonprofit, for profit or government operated? The sort of ownership may influence the services a hospice patient receives. And keep in touch with the administrator when contacting a hospice.
Let’s face it, the administrator has got the authority to say yes or no to anything the hospice office assistant or hospice employer has promised you. If you have found a hospice that meets your requirements, make sure it is the home office, rather than a branch. Generally, the nurse who resides at the house office has use of anyone in charge. Branch offices will not have employees who make financial or business decisions. Finally, before choosing a hospice, find out where in fact the on-call nurse lives. If the nurse lives far from the patient requiring hospice care, the response time can take longer.