Choosing The Right Hospice
Choosing a hospice may be one of the most important decisions you'll ever make. If you've been reading our site, you know that we've adopted our "No Regrets" approach to care because we know we can make a difference in people's lives at a critical time. We also know that you want to have no regrets, just as we do.
We'd like to be your hospice because we believe we provide the best care. However, it is important that you make an informed decision. We understand that a family member may provide care for another hospice or that you may have had a positive experience with another hospice, so that other hospice may be your best choice. Some people prefer hospices with particular hospital or religious affiliations and if that's the case, another hospice may be the best choice for you. Hospice, like almost everything in life, is not one-size-fits-all. We wish you well no matter what direction you choose and we hope you find the following list of considerations helpful.
When evaluating a hospice:
- Does the hospice have staff close to the patient's residence? (matters the most for home care patients)
- Is the hospice certified by Medicare? (90% are, therefore we believe a lack of certification is a red flag)
- Does the hospice accept Medicaid? (we believe most reputable hospices do)
- Is the hospice licensed by the State? (we've never heard of a reputable hospice that wasn't state licensed)
- What services does the hospice provide and can the staff easily articulate what you should expect?
- If you are Medicare or Medicaid eligible, does the hospice intend to charge you anything? (we don't believe they should)
- How often does the hospice nurse typically visit a patient? (we believe this should not be less than twice every 10 days)
- Is a nurse on call 24 hours a day if needed? (we believe they should be)
- Will the hospice provide Continuous Care if necessary? (we believe they should)
- Does the hospice provide 13 months of bereavement services for family, beloved friends and caregivers free of charge? (we believe they should)
- Does the hospice ever discharge patients for Extended Prognosis? (we believe they should - this means that a patient has improved sufficiently that they are no longer hospice eligible - however some hospices do not discharge patients whether they have improved or not)
- Has the hospice ever been fined or sanctioned for a standard of care violation? (we believe this is a red flag)
If you have questions about answers you've received to the questions above or to learn more about Freedom Hospice call (817) 265-0151 Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Or, if you wish, click on the "Contact" tab at the top of this page or the bold "Click here" below and send us an email. We're here to help.
