How to Choose a Hospice

Hospice is about more than providing medical care to a terminally ill individual. It is a philosophy of care, the goal of which is to treat the person rather than the disease. Focus is placed on the quality rather than length of life. The important thing to remember is that hospice is there for the family members as well as the sick individual, To find a good hospice program that offers a team of experienced staff members and volunteers who work together.

Instructions

• 1

  Ask your personal physician for a recommendation. Since doctors often refer patients to hospice, he or she likely is familiar with the programs available in your area. Talk to other families who have used the program. Ask for their opinions about a particular hospice program.

• 2

  Inquire about the different types of services available (i.e. social services; physical, occupational, and speech therapy; pain management; support services such as home health aides, shopping, and household cleaning; spiritual resources; and bereavement counseling). You will want to choose a program that offers the services your loved one needs to be comfortable and pain-free during those final months.

• 3

  Find out if the hospice agency is owned by a for-profit or not-for-profit organization. Keep in mind that the stockholders of any for-profit business want to earn profits. They invest in a company to make money. Not-for-profit organizations focus on serving people. It may be better to choose a hospice program that offers hospice care as its core mission, and has not branched out into other areas of health care.

• 4

  Inquire about a program’s licensing and certification. Accreditation from professional organizations is important as well. Gather information about which programs in your local area are state licensed and Medicare certified. Also, ask if the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine certify the hospice physicians. Find out if the Hospice Nurses Association certifies the nurses on the hospice staff.

• 5

  Contact the hospice directly to get answers to your specific questions. Find out whether the program is covered by the sick individual’s health insurance plan. Whether the program will cover the cost of medications is another important question to ask.