When To Research Hospice Care
Too often, the first time many families investigate hospice care is when they are in a crisis. To find the best fit for your family’s needs, it’s important to start your hospice research before you need it.
Start early.
Families are often reluctant to consider hospice care for a loved one before they need it. Unfortunately, this can result in a rushed decision with little time to consider your options. Instead, families should begin to consider future care whenever a loved one has been diagnosed with a serious illness. Even if you never need home health care, an assisted living facility, or hospice care, knowing your options can reduce future stress.
Trusted healthcare providers are a good place to get referrals and recommendations. You can also ask friends and family about their experience with different care providers.
You can also use online searches to research hospice services in your area. Medicare’s Hospice Compare is also an excellent tool for comparing agencies in your area.
Ask Questions.
Once you’ve narrowed down your list of potential hospice care providers to a short list, give each of them a call to learn more about their services. Medicare requires all hospices to provide a certain base level of care, but some hospices offer special services or additional staffing that can make them a better fit for your family’s needs.
Some important questions to ask a hospice providers include:
- Is the hospice team available to admit patients and provide care outside of standard business hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays?
- If a patient needs assistance after-hours, is there a dedicated on-call team that can provide care?
- What is the average amount of time spent with the patient? Does that time increase in the final days and hours of the patient’s life?
- Does the hospice have a program in place to have a member of the hospice care team sit bedside with the patient in their final moments?
- Are there any services offered beyond the services required by Medicare? For example, Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care offers a Veteran Recognition Ceremony to patients who served in the United States armed forces. We also offer a Gift of a Day program to help patients build some additional special memories with their family.
- Can someone from the hospice team meet your loved one to assess their current eligibility for hospice? If the patient is not eligible, will they provide information on what to look out for in the future.
Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care provides care and support to patients facing terminal illness. To learn more about our services, please call us at 1-888-564-3405.
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