Choosing who will care for your loved one during their final days isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. As most people aren’t familiar with the interworkings of the hospice industry, it’s common for families to experience some difficulties when comparing one hospice to another.

To make the best decision for your loved one and the rest of your family, consider these four factors when choosing a hospice provider.

Testimonials

Check for online reviews and testimonials. Finding out what people who have actually used a company’s services before think of the company can be a great starting point. Keep in mind that disgruntled customers often take to online reviews to vent frustrations, so be sure this is just one piece of the puzzle and not the evaluation method you use.

Mission Statement

Being a hospice provider is about more than just offering medical care. Emotional support and compassion should make up a large part of how a hospice provider operates. Examining a company’s mission statement and values will help you determine how much they value this side of the business.

Certifications

There’s a long list of certifications hospices and hospice employees can get. Some are more important than others, but the certifications a hospice holds will give you a good indication of what areas of service they prioritize.

Your Gut

Once you’ve narrowed your decision down to a couple of options, set some phone calls and in person meetings. You’ll likely end up meeting with a transition specialist or a social worker. If you get a bad feeling about a hospice provider during these meetings, it might be best to look elsewhere.

At Cura-HPC we work hard to provide the best possible care for our patients and their families. That means having a top quality medical staff and offering caring emotional support. If you are in need of a Tulsa hospice provider, please call Cura-HPC.

There’s a surprising amount of myths and misunderstandings surrounding hospice and palliative care. These misunderstandings will often delay families from enrolling in hospice or keep them from enrolling in hospice care altogether. A simple look at the facts will help those interested in hospice care understand the benefits of hospice and avoid these misunderstandings.

Here are some of the most common hospice misunderstandings and why they’re wrong.

Hospice is expensive

Quite the opposite actually. Medicare, Medicaid, and the majority of private health insurance companies all cover hospice care. This means patients and their families will rarely have to pay anything out of pocket for the care they receive while enrolled in hospice.

You can only have 6 months of hospice

This stems from the fact that patients must be certified as being terminally ill by a physician and have a prognosis of 6 months or less if the disease runs its normal course. This requirement does not mean patients can only receive a maximum of 6 months of care, because the physician’s prognosis may change over time. There is no limit to how much hospice care a patient can receive as long as they continue to get a 6 month prognosis from a doctor.

Hospice only happens in one place

While some patients may choose to receive hospice care by moving into a hospice facility owned and operated by the provider, hospice care can be administered in a wide variety of locations. A patient may receive care in their own home, a skilled nursing facility, a hospital, or almost any safe environment.

As you can see, the benefits are clear when hospice misunderstandings are corrected. If you or a loved one are in need of hospice care, call Cura-HPC for information about our hospice care services.