Choosing a Hospice

Where and how to start your search

When focus shifts from curing to caring, the search for the right hospice provider to fit you or your loved oneโ€™s needs is important. ๐™’๐™๐™š๐™ฃ ๐™ž๐™ฉ ๐™˜๐™ค๐™ข๐™š๐™จ ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™ก๐™ค๐™ซ๐™š๐™™ ๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™šโ€™๐™จ ๐™˜๐™–๐™ง๐™š ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™˜๐™ค๐™ข๐™›๐™ค๐™ง๐™ฉ, ๐˜พ๐™๐™ค๐™ค๐™จ๐™š ๐™”๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™‡๐™Š๐˜พ๐˜ผ๐™‡ ๐™ƒ๐™ค๐™จ๐™ฅ๐™ž๐™˜๐™š ๐™ฉ๐™š๐™–๐™ข ๐™–๐™ฉ ๐˜ผ๐™ฅ๐™ฅ๐™–๐™ก๐™–๐™˜๐™๐™ž๐™–๐™ฃ ๐™ƒ๐™ค๐™จ๐™ฅ๐™ž๐™˜๐™š ๐˜พ๐™–๐™ง๐™š. ๐™’๐™šโ€™๐™ง๐™š ๐™ก๐™ค๐™˜๐™–๐™ก ๐™ฅ๐™š๐™ค๐™ฅ๐™ก๐™š ๐™˜๐™–๐™ง๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™›๐™ค๐™ง ๐™š๐™–๐™˜๐™ ๐™ค๐™ฉ๐™๐™š๐™ง.

So how do you go about finding the hospice provider that is right for you? The healthcare providers that you know and trust to oversee your care are a good place to start. They have likely referred patients to multiple hospices and have heard feedback that they can share with you.

Additionally, asking friends and family if they can give recommendations is a good starting point. Many folks you know have likely been touched by hospice and may be willing to share their experiences.

A more obvious place to begin your search is online. When using a search engine, such as Google, narrowing down your location will help in locating a hospice that serves your area. Also, check social media. Reviews and recommendations on a hospice providerโ€™s page can be helpful (though remember when reading reviews consider that in all of health care, particularly hospice, everyoneโ€™s situation is different, and one familyโ€™s experience may in no way reflect what you or your family may come to experience). If you want to see side-by-side comparisons, Medicareโ€™s Hospice Compare is a great tool to utilize.

What to ask

While all hospice providers may share the same basic philosophy of care, each is different in some ways. The following are some of the questions you might ask to assist you in making a decision about hospice care for yourself or a loved one:ย 

  1. What specific services does the program provide (i.e. respite services, homemaking services, continuous care, therapy services, spiritual care, etc.)?

  2. Will the hospice cover the cost of the patientโ€™s medications?

  3. How frequently do the nursing staff and other hospice staff visit?

  4. Can the patientโ€™s primary physician continue to oversee their care?

  5. Where is the hospice located? Are the staff local or are they from out of the area?

  6. What facilities (hospitals, skilled nursing facilities) does the hospice use for inpatient care?

  7. If palliative treatments such as radiation or blood transfusions are needed for symptom control, does the hospice provide these services?

  8. How soon can the hospice staff meet with you?

  9. Is the hospice fully staffed?

  10. Will the hospice strive to have someone with the patient in his/her final moments (nurse, aide, chaplain, social worker, etc.)?

After considering the answers to these questions you should be able to decide which hospice provider is the best fit for your needs. If you decide that provider is us, you will be welcomed into a family atmosphere of caring individuals where your care, needs, and wishes will always be our top priority.ย 

Appalachian Hospice and Home Health Services is certified by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services and is a member of both the National Hospice and Palliative Care Association and the Kentucky Association of Hospice and Palliative Care.ย 

Appalachian Hospice and Home Health Services adheres to all HIPAA privacy policies.

Services are available regardless of age, race, religion, national origin, color, sex or handicap