Selecting the right palliative care service or hospice care home can be a frightening prospect. For some, this is a way of finally admitting that a loved one is close to passing away, and it is not something that most people want to think about.
Here is a list of a few questions that you should ask as far as hospice care goes. Depending on what you are looking for for your elderly loved one, the answers might vary. However, when you find the right help for your mom or dad, you will have a huge burden removed from your conscience, knowing that they are getting the best end of life care possible.
Is the service accredited or certified?
Hospice care is all about providing end of life comfort, but that doesn’t mean that the service you select shouldn’t be backed by a professional governing body. It doesn’t matter if it is a residential setting or in-home care. There should be some sort of certification in place to make sure that all caregivers are fully trained and held accountable. The caregivers employed should be professionals and having these safeguards in place helps to ensure this.
What should be expected?
Your service provider should have the services and care features provided outlined for you in writing. This way, you will know exactly what to expect and no surprises will be likely to occur. Care is something that has a lot riding on it. Even if your loved one is at the end of their life, they are still someone that you love and care about. You want the best for them, so be careful to know exactly what kinds of care are going to be administered, and which are not.
Do you have references?
Reputable caregivers, both for hospice care and any other kind, have satisfied families that have used their services in the past. If you are unsure of what to expect, ask for references from the hospice or palliative care company. Get in touch with actual people who have used them and their services to get a more detailed idea for what you should expect in your own experiences with them.
What preliminary evaluations are given?
If you want to have hospice care given in your home, what measures or evaluations are given to make sure that this is a safe setting? How are these decisions made? How do they decide what kind of attention needs to be given to your parent? These are important questions because they determine the quality of care that will be administered. It will also help determine how comfortable the quality of their life is during their final days.
What costs are included? Which are extra?
Cost shouldn’t be your primary motivator when choosing high quality care, but they need to be considered at some point. You should know what services you are paying for with the upfront cost of care, and which things (if any) you will be charged extra for. You don’t want these things to be an unpleasant surprise later on.
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