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 an already difficult time. In a recent blog describing hospice and palliative care, I’ve received many responses from readers who want to know how to select a hospice program that’s right for them. Several readers have shared their experiences with me on hospice care; some good, and others bad. I have compiled some tips 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 seek out hospice care is to realize hospices are first and foremost a company, and while a well-intended business, they want yours. Having said that, it`s very important to ask questions and get answers before committing to anything. Differences between hospices are often hard to determine because they tend to provide similar services. While memberships in state hospice organizations and The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) may sound impressive, they are offered to any hospice. What does matter is that a hospice is Medicare certified, as Medicare provides 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 types of auxiliary services. Also important is whether a hospice will accept your insurance. The Hospice Blog offers some great advice and tips that can help streamline the search process for you. First, learn who owns the hospice agency you are considering, and what the owner`s background is. Could be the hospice service nonprofit, for profit or government operated? The type of ownership may influence the services a hospice patient receives. And speak to the administrator when contacting a hospice.
Let’s face it, the administrator gets the authority to express yes or no to anything the hospice office assistant or hospice employer has promised you. When you yourself have found a hospice that fits your preferences, make sure it’s the home office, rather than branch. Generally, the nurse who resides at the house office has access to anyone in charge. Branch offices tend not to 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 far from the patient requiring hospice care, the response time can take longer.