Finding and Selecting a Hospice
General Information About Hospice
Download PDFSuggestions for finding a Hospice
- Go to the website of the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association and use their search function to find a hospice in your area.
- Ask for a recommendation from the physician, the insurance provider—or Medicare, and friends and family who have used a local hospice.
Ask those under consideration to provide an informational visit. While there inquire about their services and programs. Possible points of discussion include:
- After-hours support and speedy response
- Availability of physicians for home visits
- Availability of trained volunteers and or professionals to lead groups, programs and/or activities
- Frequency of nursing visits
- Services for children as patients
- Resources to help talk to family including young children
- Complimentary programs such as massage, aromatherapy, reiki, healing touch, pet therapy
- Bereavement help including calls, visits, groups and/or referrals
When the doctor announces that all curative and or life prolonging treatments have been exhausted and that a change in goals for care and treatment is in order—this is an indicator to consider the support of hospice care. The physician can provide information about how pain will be managed, what can be expected and what should happen next.How to talk about the possibility of Hospice with family and/or loved ones:
There are many key people involved in planning for patients' needs, explaining options, and helping to understand particular situations. The attending physician may be willing to have the spouse and/or immediate family members come in to discuss the patient's care and needs. In addition, the hospice may have a social worker who can meet with the patient and family to do this as well or—depending on care setting-there may be a team who can conference with the family.What about pain relief?
California has laws that require the continuing education of physicians in pain management so that they can better care for people facing end stage disease management and in disease treatment. There are safe medications that can be properly administered and closely monitored—especially when the patient is receiving hospice services at home. Patients can set a goal for acceptable level of pain (0-10 scale used) and medical providers can find the balance between comfort and wakefulness.Catholics being cared for by a hospiceOccasionally as a disease progresses and consciousness fades, the person sleeps more-not as a result of pain medication. Even using strong medicine can be safe and easy. Hospice does not endorse the hastening of death in any intentional fashion-an important discussion to have in order to be reassured of this basic value. It is important that the patient has an advance health care directive, and/or durable power of attorney completed.
Patients have the right and for many, the need of Catholic clergy for prayer, sacramental support, and funeral planning. The hospice team can either arrange for a Catholic chaplain to visit the patient or they can work with the patient to contact or reconnect with a parish—for their support.