Based on interviews and surveys of family caregivers who have used hospice
care, the American Hospice Foundation has developed a checklist to help
those who want to know what to expect and even demand from a hospice committed
to high quality of care.*
The staff of a good hospice should:
• Clearly explain what will be necessary to care for the patient at
home.
• Enable the family to provide some of the care, through helpful information
and hands-on training.
• Let the family know in advance how frequently they can expect visits from
the hospice staff.
• Order the necessary equipment and supplies, and ensure that they arrive
promptly.
• Explain the treatment of pain and other symptoms.
• Make certain that the patient is comfortable, free of pain or other troubling
problems.
• Ensure that pain medications are given without delay.
• Respond immediately to urgent calls from the patient or family.
• Treat the patient and the family with respect at all times.
• Include the family – and the patient, whenever possible – in
planning the patient's care.
• Ask about the patient’s special final wishes.
• Determine if the patient wants spiritual support from the hospice.
• Arrange for the patient’s brief inpatient stay (respite care),
if family caregivers need time away from their duties at home.
• Tell the family what is likely to happen when the patient dies.
• Prepare the family for the patient’s death with emotional support.
• Explain what needs to be done after the death.
• Contact family members after the death to inquire about their needs.
• Offer grief support to help the family adjust to life changes after the
death.
When a hospice provides inpatient care, the location and hours should:
• Be convenient for family visits at any time.
• Provide peace and quiet for the patient.
• Allow ample space for family members to gather.
• Ensure privacy for the patient and family visitors.
* Toward a Hospice Consumer Report Card, by Naomi Naierman, Dale Lupu
and Barbara Kreling, an internal document commissioned by the American
Hospice Foundation to determine what informed consumers value most
in hospice care.
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