Admission Criteria

To be admitted to the Hospice program, a patient must meet certain established criteria:

– Patient and/or family must understand the nature of Hospice care and be
informed of his/her diagnosis and prognosis.

-Attending physician must approve Hospice care for the patient.

-Patient must have a short prognosis.

-Patient must reside within the Hospice service area.

Admission Process

-With the patient’s consent, the Admissions Department will contact the attending physician to ensure that he or she agrees that hospice care is appropriate.

-The patient or representative will be asked to sign consent for election of hospice services. The consent is similar to the form a patient signs when entering a hospital. It states that the patient understands that hospice care is palliative, aimed at pain relief and symptom control, rather than being a curative treatment. It also outlines the multiple hospice services that will be provided to the patient and family.

-Once a patient’s physician and Hospice agree that hospice care may be appropriate for the patient, the Admissions Department will make an appointment for an Admissions Nurse to visit the patient and family. This visit is to further explain hospice services, to assess the patient’s needs, and to discuss the patient’s and family’s goals of care.

-The patient and the family should have the following information ready for the Hospice staff members before they arrive.

*All medications, dosages, and how often medication is taken should be written on a piece of paper.

*Any insurance cards and Medicare and/or Medicaid cards should also be available.

*We respect the patient’s rights and wishes regarding who may receive information, if necessary, regarding their condition. Therefore, we ask that you provide us with a complete list of names, addresses and phone numbers of any family members or friends who the patient wants information given to regarding their condition.

*A copy of any advance directives, such as a Health Care Proxy, Power of Attorney or Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR).

*A listing of any durable medical equipment in the home that is from a supplier.

*A list of any staff in the home from an agency.

*Any other significant information the Admission Staff may need to know