If either you or your loved one is facing a life-limiting illness, hospice care is an excellent option to consider, but what hospice company do you choose?
So, the challenge quickly becomes when you get stuck in choosing a hospice agency. This is because of the numerous hospice agencies all around.
You may find your doctor, friends, and family members giving you several excellent suggestions. But ultimately, you will be the one who makes decisions about your hospice care.
So are you undecided or contemplating how to get quality hospice care?
If yes, this article guides you on vital tips to consider before choosing hospice care.
Crucial Tips For Choosing An Effective Hospice Company
1) Is the hospice program accredited or certified?
Knowing this will help you determine the quality and standards of care.
2) Do they have a medical director who specializes in palliative care?
If they do, you can be sure the hospice care is reliable. This is because having a specialist shows that physicians are well trained to provide hospice care under the latest guidelines.
3) Do they have a pharmacist on their team to ensure medications are adequately managed?
Having a dedicated pharmacist helps to maintain the high quality of medication management.
4) How do they manage after-hours care?
For instance, some hospice companies do not provide regular care after business hours. Therefore, it is better to pick a company that has the option of after-hours care available. It will come in handy when your family needs it.
5) Do they offer a family support program?
Many hospices provide respite care for family members and caregivers. Choosing a company that has a respite care option available to clients is always recommended.
6) Do they offer spiritual care?
Many hospices companies have Chaplin available for spiritual needs. So be on the lookout for it.
7) Do they allow smooth transfer of service to another hospice company in case it is needed?
Sometimes the transfer of care is needed. Always find out if the hospice care facility facilitates the transfer of care if required.
8) How will they cover the cost of hospice care?
Discuss all payment options to make sure that it does not cause an additional burden on the family.
9) Ability to serve in various locations – do they have it?
A hospice should be able to serve you at your location, whether it’s in your home, a skilled nursing facility, or a hospital. A good hospice care agency gives its patients ease in being accessed.
10) Is hospice assistance readily available?
A quality hospice service should be able to respond quickly to any critical situations, whether it’s a call by 2 p.m or by 2 a.m. A kind of on-call nurse should be readily on hand, waiting to help. Also, this help should be available whether it’s holiday or working days.
11) Do they have bereavement services available?
Bereavement assistance is critical for many families after a patient expires. This service can help families recover from the trauma of the loss of a family member.
12) What will include services and supplies?
It is recommended that you discuss the details of services and supplies to ensure you get maximum benefit for your loved one.
Hospice Care Companies – Evaluate Them Carefully
Although most hospice agencies are Medicare certified, they provide end-of-life care somehow differently.
Therefore, interview more than one hospice care agency. With this, you will gain a holistic view of the mode of operation of each hospice care. This way, you will likely have all your hospice selection criteria covered.
Furthermore, when you are ready to make contact with your desired hospice care:
- Go prepared.
- Have your questions well detailed down.
- When presenting these questions, gauge the staff member’s receptivity and attitude – Ask yourself, do they appear genuinely concerned about your needs, or are they strictly business-focused?
- While on this, keep a record of your conversations and observations, the reason being that you will refer to them later.
If you take all these steps, you will be better placed to make a more accurate judgment on your choice of hospice care.
Conclusion
When you think about hospice care, know that it is more about living—not the inevitable.
It’s about one more picnic by the lake. One more walk on the beach with your family and loved ones. One afternoon, I was playing with the grandchildren.
Hospice care focuses on these “one more” opportunities to continue living life to the fullest extent possible.
Do records show that patients who chose hospice care lived an average of one month longer than similar patients who did not choose hospice care?
Hospice is a great way to live through the last days of life, and if you ever have issues choosing hospice care, follow through with the tips detailed in this article and be better guided.
