Terminal illness has several challenges associated with it.
Emotional stress, Financial burden of loss of income and treatment. Most of the
time hospice care is covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Other options may
include commercial insurance, Out of pocket payment and Department of Veteran
affairs.
How to choose a Hospice service for your loved ones
To select Hospice service you must consider the following points:
- Is hospice program is
accredited or certified? This helps to determine the quality and standards
of care.
- Do they have Medical
director who is specialized in palliative care? This makes care reliable
as these physicians are trained to provide hospice care under latest
guidelines.
- Do they have pharmacist
in their team to makes sure that medications are managed properly? Having
dedicated pharmacist helps to keep the high quality of medication
management.
- How they manage after
hours care? Some Hospice companies do not provide regular care after
business hours. So it is better to pick a company which has option of
after hours care available whenever it is needed.
- Do they offer family
support program? Many hospice provide respite care for the family members
and caregivers. It always recommended to choose a company which has
respite care option available for the clients.
- Do they offer spiritual
care? Many hospice companies have Chaplin available for spiritual needs.
- Do they allow smooth
transfer of service to another hospice company in case it is needed? Some
times transfer of care is needed. Always find out if they facilitate
transfer of care in case it is needed.
- How they will cover the
cost of hospice care? Discuss all options of payment to make sure that it
does not case additional burden on family.
- Do they have bereavement
services available? It is very important for many families after patient
expires. This service can help family recover from the trauma of the
loss of a family member.
- What services will be
included and supplies will be included? It is recommended
- To discuss the details
of services and supplies to make sure that you get maximum benefit for
your loved one.