Determining the correct hospice care you or even a family member requires at the end-of-life may appear like a daunting task to defend myself against during an already difficult time. In a current blog describing hospice and palliative care, I’ve received many responses from readers who would like to understand how to select a hospice program that’s right for them. Many of these readers have shared their experiences with me on hospice care; good quality, and others bad. I have compiled some suggestions from industry experts to simply help take the guesswork out of picking a hospice what is hospice.
Among the first items to remember when beginning your seek out hospice care is to appreciate hospices are first and foremost a small business, and while a well-intended business, they need yours. Having said that, it`s vital that you ask questions and get answers before committing to anything. Differences between hospices in many cases are hard to find out because they tend to offer similar services. While memberships in state hospice organizations and The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) may seem impressive, they are offered to any hospice. What does matter is 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 examples of auxiliary services. Also important is whether a hospice will accept your insurance. The Hospice Blog offers some very nice 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. Could be the hospice service nonprofit, for profit or government operated? The sort 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 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 fits your needs, ensure it’s the home office, rather than branch. Generally, the nurse who resides at the home office has usage of the individual in charge. Branch offices usually do not have employees who make financial or business decisions. Finally, before selecting a hospice, discover where the on-call nurse lives. If the nurse lives far away from the individual requiring hospice care, the response time can take longer.