Questions to Ask When Considering End-of-Life Care
Article submitted by Robin Marshall, General
Manager, VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® of New Jersey North. They can
be reached through the toll-free referral line 1-800-93-VITAS or the
local number is 973-994-4738.
If you or a loved one faces a life-limiting illness, there are
decisions to make about options in end-of-life care. It's important to
feel comfortable with the professionals you invite into your life at
this special time. And while there are many quality hospice providers,
not all hospices are the same.
VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® encourages you to find out as much as
you can to decide if hospice care is right for you. Then compare hospice
providers. Which one is best able to meet your family's individual
needs? Consider these questions:
WHAT TO ASK
- How long has the organization been in business? How is it
certified or licensed? What are its guiding principles?
- Does the hospice provide services in a variety of
settings-assisted living, long term care, the patient's home?
- How does the hospice work with the hospital and other
organizations or facilities during the course of the patient's care?
- Does the hospice provide inpatient care for pain control, symptom
management and respite purposes?
- How and where is inpatient care provided?
- Does the hospice provide Continuous Care to manage an acute
medical crisis while honoring the patient's request to remain at
home?
- How is the hospice team trained?
- How does the team schedule patient visits?
- How does the hospice team educate family caregivers about the
patient's needs and what to expect at the end of life? How does the
hospice provide support to handle grief?
- Are there specialized hospice programs and services for patients
with such non-cancer diagnoses as AIDS, end-stage heart disease,
end-stage lung disease, etc.?
- Are there bilingual team members? What languages are spoken?
- In what ways does the hospice team honor a patient's unique wishes
(for example, religious preferences or advance directives regarding
medical treatments)?
- Is there a full-time Medical Director? Do hospice physicians make
home visits? How is the patient's own physician involved in care?
- How does the hospice respond to after-hours emergencies or phone
calls?
- Does the hospice exclude certain treatments, like feeding tubes
and hydration?
- Does the hospice accept patients who will not execute a "do
not resuscitate" order?
- What have hospice patients and their families said about the care
they received from this hospice provider?
- What services do volunteers offer? How are volunteers screened and
trained before they visit patients and families?
- When death occurs, how does the hospice team handle visits and
calls?
WHOM TO ASK
Gather information from sources you know and trust:
- Your doctor and/or clergy.
- Friends and relatives who have faced similar choices.
- Your local senior center, state or national organizations for the
aging or an internet search.
- The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization through
Caring Connections. The toll-free help line is 1-800-658-8898. For
Spanish call 1-877-658-8896. Or go to www.caringinfo.org
- VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® of New Jersey North. The toll-free
referral line is 1-800-93-VITAS. The local number is 973-994-4738.
Or go to www.vitas.com
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