Determining the correct hospice care you or even a family member requires at the end-of-life might seem such as 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 learn how to select a hospice program that is right for them. A number of these readers have shared their experiences with me on hospice care; some good, and others bad. I have compiled some suggestions from industry experts to simply help take the guesswork out of selecting a hospice hospice near me.
One of the first things to remember when beginning your search for hospice care is to appreciate hospices are first and foremost a company, and while a well-intended business, they want yours. That said, it`s important to ask questions and get answers before committing to anything. Differences between hospices in many cases are hard to determine while they tend to supply similar services. While memberships in state hospice organizations and The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) may appear impressive, they’re offered to any hospice. What does matter is that a hospice is Medicare certified, as Medicare offers 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 all examples of auxiliary services. Also important is whether a hospice need your insurance. The Hospice Blog offers some good advice and tips that will assist streamline the search process for you. First, discover who owns the hospice agency you are considering, and what the owner`s background is. May be the hospice service nonprofit, for profit or government operated? The type of ownership may influence the services a hospice patient receives. And keep in touch with the administrator when contacting a hospice.
Let’s face it, the administrator has the authority to say yes or no to anything the hospice office assistant or hospice employer has promised you. When you have found a hospice that fits your requirements, make sure it’s the home office, rather than branch. Generally, the nurse who resides at the home office has usage of anyone in charge. Branch offices tend not to have employees who make financial or business decisions. Finally, before selecting a hospice, learn where the on-call nurse lives. If the nurse lives far away from the in-patient requiring hospice care, the response time will require longer.