What to ask when looking for Hospice

MN Chickadee

Hello friends, my mother has declined in the last few months and her doctor is recommending hospice. I have heard here over the years to shop around for hospice as they are not all equal in services or quality but I am realizing I'm not sure what to ask when vetting them. What do you look for in a hospice agency? We have quite a few options in my area -  some that are associated with larger health systems and others that are small companies. I know some would change my mother to a physician in their agency while others would consult with her current PCP. Beyond that I don't really know of any differences. I will also ask around with other families in her MC, but do you have any advice for me?

harshedbuzz

Since your mom is already in a MCF, I would ask them. They will most likely have vetted the local options and know which are reliable, familiar with dementia care, etc. 

From that list, you could ask about the sorts of questions that matter most to you. There may be one that covers the cost of incontinence supplies or have a larger roster of chaplains (making one from your faith more likely if that matters). 

HB

jfkoc

If you have competent medical care in place do not let it go.

dayn2nite2

Ask them what the plan is if your LO starts actively dying after business hours or on weekends.

I had a great hospice until my mother started actively dying after 5 pm on a Friday.  I got 1 drive-by visit while I was home feeding dogs from an on-call nurse who was there for 5 minutes according to staff and thank God she was already in a NH because THOSE people were with me.  All the nurse did on day of death was to call the NH to find out if she was still alive or not.  Really just a sorry experience.  They took great care of my mother until that time, so I guess I'll be grateful for that.  As far as ME, forget it.  Even the grief counseling - I was told they thought it was "too far" for me to drive to support group and they told me to find a local funeral home and join a group there.  Again, very sorry and pitiful experience.

mommyandme (m&m)

We were able to keep my mother’s current doctors too when hospice came on board.  

Gisel

We have been very happy with Hospice Services in the Los Angeles area. Her insurance covers doctor visits once a month nurse visits once a week charades visits twice a week as well as social worker visits and even some physical therapy training for the caregivers. Mom benefits from the additional social aspect of the visits and certainly doesn't miss having to go into a medical facility surrounded by crowds

Cynbar

Every hospice is paid a daily rate by insurance companies, and it is up to them how to spend that money. Some provide incontinence supplies, for instance, but some don't. All will provide basic equipment like a hospital bed and commode, while others also offer a power lift chair and/or a Broad chair (sort of like a wheelchair with a lot more support.)  Some provide more respite opportunities than others, some cover more medications. If your mom is already in a facility, probably a lot of those things are already covered. You will want a hospice that has 24/7 nursing coverage if needed, and is fully staffed with enough nurses, aides, chaplains and social workers. Generally, I find the bigger companies and the ones that are part of a larger organization like a VNA have the best coverage, but that may vary. Most facilities have a hospice they work with regularly and prefer -- this is usually a good starting point because those staff are often in the building and well known to facility staff. Ask. But you do have the right to engage another hospice. They will send out an admitting nurse --- try to be there if you can and assess how engaged and caring this person is, it will tell you a lot about the quality of their staff in general. And remember, you can change hospices if for any reason the first one isn't working out.

MN Chickadee

Thank you everyone, this is helpful.