If it has been recommended that you or a loved one enter hospice care, it's the job of the medical team to provide you with hospice options in your area. Even if the hospital or facility has its own hospice services, you can always choose an outside provider.
Who is eligible for hospice care?
An individual may be moving toward the end of life due to age or a life-limiting illness. Either way, it may have reached a point where their illness, treatment for that illness, or other circumstances are negatively impacting their quality of life. At this point, a medical provider might recommend hospice care if a person has been given a prognosis of 6 months or less to live.
Whether this recommendation comes from a palliative care team, a specialist, or a medical provider at a senior living facility or hospital, they should be helping you know what hospice providers are available in your area.
Choosing the right hospice provider.
There are many aspects to consider when choosing a hospice provider. Take into account what type of provider they are (non-profit, for-profit, associated with a hospital or facility) and if their mission aligns with your goals and values. It’s also important to consider who their hospice team consists of and what sort of care beyond medical they provide. Some hospice organizations offer many complementary therapies like music and massage to help increase a patient's quality of life. Some also continue providing support through bereavement services after losing a loved one. Ensuring a hospice provider has the tools and resources available to meet your or your loved one’s wants and needs is essential.Choosing in advance.
Research shows that you are more likely to get the care you want if you have conversations about your future medical treatment and put a plan in place. Planning ahead by documenting your preferred hospice provider and communicating this to your loved ones or power of attorney helps to ensure you’ll receive end-of-life care from the provider of your choosing. Making this choice before being in a position to have to make it can also remove stress for both you and your loved ones.Why choose Faith Hospice?
At Faith Hospice, we’re not driven by profits, nor do we answer to shareholders. Patients aren’t a number, nor is their value summed up to the information on a chart. Our doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, aides, and volunteers are all driven by a higher calling—a mission to do unto others as we would have done unto us.
If there’s something we understand more than anything at Faith Hospice, it’s that hospice is not about death—it’s about maximizing life. With curative treatments stopped, our focus shifts to achieving the wants and wishes of the patient. Our team of expert, board-certified hospice & palliative care physicians and specially trained nurses, social workers, chaplains, aides, and volunteers are there to help guide you and your loved ones—all working together to enhance the quality of life of each patient for months and weeks before their final days. When you choose Faith Hospice, there’s a whole team behind you, ready to support, counsel, and comfort at any time.
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