One of the many obstacles involved for people with terminal diagnosis is living through incidences that require making choices for treatments. Now that everything/anything available for cure/treatment have been considered or exhausted, hospice care is recommended. You along with your loved ones, are asked to choose again. Choose among the many different providers available. There are so many different hospice providers out there today that choosing the right provider appropriate to your needs and goals can be overwhelming. How do you find the best hospice in Los Angeles? Knowing how stressful such times can be, we hope to ease that stress with this short, but informative guide to choosing a hospice provider.
First and foremost, know that obtaining hospice care does not mean giving up. In fact, if patients’ condition improves with better quality of life the hospice services can be discontinued and treatment resumed.
Start by narrowing down your choices. Consider what kind of health plan or insurance you have. Some plans may have a list of providers that they may require you to choose from. This will be their list of “preferred providers” with which your health plan has negotiated favorable rates, in order to receive the full financial benefit of your policy.
Medicare’s Hospice Compare website lets you retrieve ratings of hospice providers within your community. You can also compare different providers and their ratings at https://www.medicare.gov/hospicecompare/
Search engines, social media and Yelp reviews are helpful sources. Use these to find local hospices and get a better sense of their unique offerings. Yelp reviews are especially helpful because you can learn about the actual care that previous clients have experienced. Faith & Hope Hospice and Palliative Care is proud to have one of the highest ratings on Yelp.
Always conduct interviews with two or three agencies. You need to feel comfortable with the people providing care during this intimate and vulnerable time. Avoid interviewing too many agencies though, as this can get overwhelming. Consider asking these important questions:
Finally, one of the most important things to consider, is the “chemistry” with the individual representing the hospice agency. That first impression should leave a sense of compassion, trust, confidence and comfort. Pretty brochures and websites are not as important as the connection you feel with the people who you will interact with.
When choosing a palliative program that best meets your unique needs and situations, the following questions may be considered:
Choosing this extra layer of support alongside curative or other treatments can help patients and their loved ones to better manage symptoms, address concerns that matter most and improve the overall quality of life.