Finding A Hospice
How do I find a qualified hospice?
The best way to find a qualified hospice is to talk to your physician about local hospices in your area. There's also, in your hospital, a social worker and discharge planner who can many times give you recommendations of qualified hospices. There are also many organizations that have what's called hospice locators on their websites that you can just punch in your zip code and find a hospice in your area.
Are all hospices the same?
All hospices are not the same. Many of them differ in the care and the resources they provide, so it's very important to really call a number of hospices in your area and find out what they have to offer. One hospice may have more nurses closer to where you live. Another hospice may provide more hours of care than the other one. So, it's important that you hear the different services, and you'll get a different feel for what they can provide to you or your loved one. Certainly, hospices are not all the same.
What questions should I ask when choosing a hospice?
When choosing a hospice, you first want to make sure that they're licensed by the state that you live in. You want to ask what kind of care they have, and how available people are. You want to make sure that they have nurses and staff close by that can help you and meet your needs. You want to ask who's going to provide the care. You might want to ask what their philosophy is around providing their hospice care, because you'll be surprised; hospices are different in how they think of this time of life. These are the questions to ask when choosing hospice care.
