Choosing to enter a Hospice care is never an easy decision, but once you’ve decided to look for comprehensive, 24/7 care and support for you and your family during the end-of-life time, it’s important to choose the right Hospice Agency for you.
If you or a loved one has opted for hospice care in Los Angeles, it’s best to start reaching out and researching Hospice Agencies that align with what you want. Here are five tips you should consider when choosing the Hospice agency that’s right for you.
Look into the Hospice’s philosophy
Before you sign consent forms for admission to a hospice, talk to your family members and Hospice care to find out if your philosophies and visions align. Hospice agencies should provide individualized care for you to help reduce your pain during difficult times. Make sure your Hospice agency provides the kind of care you’re looking for and aligns with your needs.
Talk to your family members and health care proxy
Make your family members and health care proxy aware of your choices. Because health care proxies confer with medical teams and review medical charts, it’s key to keep them in the loop so they can ask the proper questions and understand treatment options, request consultations, second opinions, consent or refuse certain medical tests and make life-support decisions.
Review your medical history
Reviewing your medical history and current illness or illnesses can help determine what kind of medical attention you’ll be needing through your Hospice in Los Angeles care. If there’s a need for durable medical equipment, this process can assist in understanding what equipment you may or may not need. Figuring out what kind of medical attention is required can help you narrow your choices when it comes to choosing a Hospice care in Los Angeles for you. If the Hospice care doesn’t have much experience dealing with your medical history, it may not be the right choice for you. Look for a Hospice Agency that knows and has experience with the kind of illness you or a loved one is dealing with and knows the right kind of attention that should be received.
Review your current medications and know what’s covered
Determining what medications you’re currently taking is an important step to understanding what will and won't be covered by hospice and delivered to your home. While many patients use Medicare or Medicaid for hospice services, some patients opt to use private health insurance to cover things that might not be otherwise covered by hospice care. Most services that are typically covered are counseling, physical care, medication related to illness, equipment and supplies. A comprehensive hospice like Illuminate Hospice covers everything and unlike other agencies, Illuminate Hospice is a small and patient focused facility, making it able to cover all areas of services like PT, ST and more, including podiatrist labs all in home. Understand what your hospice benefits cover to find out if they’re the right hospice care for you.
Know your Hospice team
The people you or your loved one surround yourselves with when it comes to end-of-life care is one of the most important factors in choosing a team to help reduce your pain. A Hospice in Los Angeles will include a team of physicians, nurses, social workers, home health aides, volunteers and more, and while every team member is key to assisting your hospice decisions, your nurse will ultimately be the care worker the patient sees most. It’s understandable to want to know who the patient’s nurses and doctors will be and if the patient is comfortable with those care taking members. Nurses help carry out a patient's plan of hospice care and they continually document the patients while they’re under their care.
Prioritize what means the most to you or a loved one when choosing a Hospice Agency and Los Angeles hospice care to find the best care available.