If you’re part of a search for an ideal hospice care within a home, whether for yourself or a loved one, finding the ideal setup is naturally very important. There are a number of ways to go about this process, and one of the most important facets of any such search involves asking the right kinds of questions.
At Suncrest Hospice, we proudly offer caring hospice care and other forms of home health care for many differing needs. We’re happy to take any and all questions from our prospective clients, ensuring you have the right information to make a vital decision. What are some of the key areas and question topics to be asking about as you’re taking part in such a search? Let’s dive into a few.
Basic Operational Details and Qualifications
First and foremost, as you’re first beginning your search for the best hospice care, it’s important to ask about the basic operational details of any potential home.
Some key questions to consider in this area include how long has the provider been in operation? What is the general size and scope of their team? How are staff members vetted and trained? These are just a few areas you’ll want to take the time to explore.
In addition, it’s also vital that you inquire about the qualifications of any potential home health care providers. Does this provider specialize in a given field? Are they accredited and licensed by reputable institutions or government bodies? What sort of ongoing training do staff members receive? Do they have any specific affiliations or associations?
If you gloss over simple areas like these, you’re starting your search at an instant disadvantage. You’ll often have to cross options off the list later on down the line, which could lead to delays and unnecessary additional stress.
Medicare Certification
Because many people who require home hospice care or home health care are oftentimes on Medicare, it’s important to ask about the provider’s certification status. Has this provider been certified by Medicare? If not, why isn’t it an option for you and your loved ones?
By asking these questions early on in your search, you’ll have a much better idea of whether or not a given provider is even a viable option.
Accreditation and Licensure
Down related lines, many providers will also have the important accolade of accreditation and licensing. It’s in your best interest to be looking for a provider that has these, as they’re indicative of credibility and adherence to norms.
In the hospice and home care world, the two primary forms of accreditation are JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) and CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Partner). Finding a provider with these accreditations can put your mind at ease, knowing you’re in good hands.
In addition to looking for an accredited provider, it’s also important to explore the licensing that they hold.
Licensing is offered by different levels of government and can signify whether a provider is adequately prepared to meet the needs of their patients. Once again, you’ll want to do some thorough research into this area as you’re taking part in your search. By not asking these questions early on, and instead waiting until it’s too late in the process, you may find yourself unable to access the care you need.
Any Limitations on Services
Another vital area to uncover as you begin your search is whether or not a particular provider has any limitations on their services. While most providers won’t outright limit this, it never hurts to double check and ask the right questions.
As an example of what’s possible here, many providers may only be able to offer home health care for 2-3 nights per week, or they may be only able to help with home hospice at certain times. Based on your specific needs, these kinds of limitations can easily end up being a deal-breaker and will prevent you from accessing the care you need.
Reputation and References
Now that we’ve gotten some of the simplest details out of the way that will help you narrow down your initial search and identify viable options, it’s important to then look at the reputation of any provider you’re considering. There are several ways to go about this:
- Personal references: In an area like hospice care, where comfort and support are key, it’s important to consider whether a given provider has adequate personal references. By looking at reviews and recommendations made by others in the community–past or present hospice care patients, family members of past patients, etc.–you can get an idea of how well the provider performs on a day-to-day basis. You won’t be able to get a sense of every aspect of what that provider offers, but you can get a good idea about whether or not they’re up to an exceptional level.
- Third-party reviews: In addition to looking at references from earlier patients, you may also want to look into third-party reviews offered by outside sources regarding the performance of a given provider. Different providers will have different reviews available that reflect on the various aspects of their performance, including quality of care, responsiveness to needs, friendliness and empathy, transparency in billing, etc. These reviews can be helpful in painting a holistic picture of how well a provider performs in the real world.
- Personal word-of-mouth: In other cases, you may have friends or family members who’ve used particular providers for their own care. Whether it’s a personal referral or a word-of-mouth recommendation, you can use this information to further narrow down your search and determine whether the above two forms of references are enough.
Expectations for Family Role in Care
Family involvement is another important aspect of hospice care, particularly if the patient is someone you love. While you’re searching for hospice care of any kind, this is a key area you should be considering.
Both sides of this coin should be considered: What kind of involvement the family of the hospice patient hopes to maintain in their care, but also what kind of involvement the hospice provider expects from family members. If either side feels that the other area is lacking, this can lead to a breakdown in trust and an inability to access the care you need.
For instance, some family members may want to take a very involved role in certain aspects of their loved one’s care, including things like helping with daily activities and monitoring for any changes in symptoms. Others may want to stick mainly to emotional support by just offering a listening ear and being there for the patient at all times. On the other hand, some providers are going to expect certain actions from family members as part of their role in care. This may include things like signing off on paperwork and communicating with doctors, or helping to provide care themselves when needed. If either side isn’t clear about the expectations of the other, it can lead to a breakdown in trust and a lack of cooperation–the exact opposite of what you want to achieve!
Crisis Response Standards
As you’re going through this process, you should also be asking yourself how well a given provider performs in times of crisis. If a family member suddenly falls ill or a patient’s health takes a sudden turn for the worse, does the provider have staff on hand who can respond effectively and provide necessary care? You may not always be able to accurately predict these situations, but you can usually get a sense in advance of how well the provider handles them.
For this aspect, it’s important to look at a wide range of factors–including training, staffing levels, and communication protocols. For instance, does the provider have staff on hand who are trained specifically in emergency situations? This may involve things like specific CPR and first aid training, or it may involve more advanced medical skills.
On a related note, you’ll also want to consider staffing levels for times of crisis and the type of communication that’s used during these situations. For example, does the provider have what is known as a “code alert”, which triggers a special alarm that allows staff to respond to a crisis?
The Connection You Feel
Finally, one of the most important factors to consider when you’re looking for hospice care is simply how well you get along with the provider. You may be dealing with a very challenging situation in your loved one’s health, and having a compassionate and supportive provider can be crucial to ensuring that they have the best possible experience while receiving care.
This connection can include a personal relationship with the provider, as well as trust in their ability to provide quality care. To get a sense of this connection, you may have to talk directly with providers and meet them in person. You can also look for reviews from current or past patients online, which can be very helpful both in terms of finding providers you’re interested in and ruling out those that don’t seem like a good fit.
Asking questions while you’re looking for hospice care is an important part of the process. When you consider factors such as training, staffing levels, and communication protocols, as well as your own needs and goals for providing care to a loved one, you can make the best possible choice for hospice care in your area. With the right provider, you’ll be able to help your loved one receive the compassionate, quality care they deserve.
For more on this, or to learn about any of our hospice care or other home health care services, speak to our dedicated team Suncrest Hospice today.
