Determining Hospice Appropriateness
The hospital Discharge Planner plays a very important role in helping families connect to Hospice services. Often a physician writes orders sending the patient home with hospice. At times though, the discharge planner is the first to consider the need for hospice care.
A patient should be evaluated for Hospice services if any of the following key indicators are present:
- The patient has been diagnosed with a terminal illness
- Frequent hospitalizations have occurred
- Pain is present
- The patient desires to stay in his own home
- Financial relief is needed
- The patient decides to forgo further treatment
- The patient has been told that further treatment is unavailable, or would be futile
- The patient has experienced frequent telephone calls, and/or visits to doctors' offices or emergency rooms
Please direct questions or comments to the Hospice admissions department at 800-717-3811.
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