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How to Choose a Hospice
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Not all hospices are the same—and it’s important to know the patient and family have a choice when it comes to selecting one. While all hospices are required to provide specific services, the quality of care associated with those services can vary greatly from hospice to hospice.
What do all hospices have in common?
Hospice care is based on the need for hospice, nothing more. Patients must meet the hospice criteria to qualify for hospice care, but no one is to be discriminated against regardless of age, gender, nationality, race, creed, sexual orientation, disability, diagnosis, ability to pay, or place of residence. Denying services to someone in need of hospice care is immoral, unethical—and illegal.
All hospices provide the same core services which are considered reasonable and necessary to improve the quality of life for terminally ill patients. These core services include:
- Therapy Services
- All Levels of Care
- Spiritual & Emotional Counseling
- Home Health Aides
- An Individualized Plan of Care
- On-call Services (24/7)
- Bereavement Counseling for Family (up to 12 months after patient’s death)
- Medications, Supplies & Equipment (pertaining to terminal diagnosis)
- A Team of Experts
- Nursing Care
- Social Services
- Physician Services
How do hospices differ?
Although most hospices share a similar philosophy, each organization is unique, so it is vital to determine which one will provide the best care to your loved one.
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From Hospicedirectory.org: All licensed hospice programs must provide certain services, but the range of support services and programs may differ. In addition, hospice programs and operating styles may vary from state to state depending on state laws and regulations. Like other medical care providers, business models differ. Some programs are not-for-profit and some hospices are for-profit. |
Really, choosing a hospice isn’t much different than choosing a hospital in which to have a baby or to undergo heart surgery. Each hospital has its own unique characteristics, from the types of services it provides to the staff members it employs. Hospice is the same way. Each hospice has its own mission statement and guidelines to follow. Some have a “Hospice Home” that provides in-patient care and others do not. Some may provide additional services beyond the core services. For example, one core service is providing twelve months of bereavement services to family members after the death of the patient. However, some hospices offer up to fifteen or even eighteen months of counseling after the death.
Overall hospice is a wonderful service; unfortunately, some of them focus more on making money rather than helping people, and the difference shows in their quality of care. This is why it is very important to research individual hospices and find out what they have to offer. It’s your right to choose the hospice that is best for you and your loved ones. If you don’t feel comfortable with a particular hospice, you can always decide to go with another one. Even once your loved one is on hospice, you can still discontinue services if you feel uncomfortable with the care he or she is receiving.
How do I choose a hospice?
To get information about hospices in your area, ask your doctor for recommendations. He or she has probably referred patients to hospice before and knows which hospice will work for you. Go online to check out hospice Web sites and conduct further research, or look in the yellow pages to get a listing of hospices in your area. Don’t forget to contact the hospices directly for additional information on their services.
What questions should I ask when choosing a hospice?
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) provides a list of questions to ask hospice providers when considering their services.
- What services are provided?
- What kind of support is available to the family/caregiver?
- What roles do the attending physician and hospice play?
- What does the hospice volunteer do?
- How does hospice work to keep the patient comfortable?
- How are services provided after hours?
- How and where does hospice provide short-term inpatient care?
- With which nursing homes or long-term care facilities does the hospice work?
- How long does it typically take the hospice to enroll someone once the request for services is made?
Spreading the Word—
April Smith
Posted in: Finding Hospice, How to Choose Hospice Care
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