Clearing up the “Hospice Question”
Dan
Purkey, Executive Director
In a recent article in the South Bend Tribune, a
family member of a patient expressed concerns about the treatment she received
from a for-profit hospice. She felt pressured in signing up for their services.
She thought all hospices are the same. She didn’t know she had a choice in
hospice care. She wanted hospice explained in layman terms. I feel it is
important that I address these issues and how Hope Hospice addresses these
concerns.
There can be a difference in care between a for-profit
and a not-for-profit organization. Typically a for-profit hospice has owners or
investors that want a return for their investment. Some choose to operate with
a reduced staff and reduce services. 58% of all hospices are now for-profit. In
1995, when Hope Hospice was founded, only 25% of all hospices were for-profit. Most
not-for-profit hospices use any excess funds to increase services, not to pay
off investors. It is important to know there are good and bad agencies made up
of both for-profit and not-for-profit hospices. The compassion for caring for
the terminally ill is with those who operate and work for each individual
agency. The state and federal government set quality measures to try to control
this but it is every agencies job and duty to know if they have the right
people in their agencies. For example, as a not-for-profit Hope Hospice and
Home Care has “Foundation Stones” that include; Faith, Compassion, Integrity
and Education. We teach these to all employees from our equipment personnel to
our nurses and aides. We hold ourselves accountable to these principals in care
for our community. Anyone who doesn’t believe in them is invited to leave.
When Hope Hospice or Hope Home Care personnel sign a
patient up for service, we allow them the time to think about the decision they
are about to make. At Hope Hospice and Hope Home Care, we DO NOT have quotas,
WE HAVE patients! We know the hardest time in a person or families lives is
when they are told they are in need for hospice services. It is the most
personal decision they will ever make. It cannot be made in haste.
Not all hospices are the same. Hospices are as
different as people themselves. Unfortunately, some are in it for the money.
Hope Hospice and it’s board of directors has always strived to give back to our
patients and community. There are several ways we do this. Patients and their
families have never paid any cost out of pocket. Our funding comes from
Medicare, Medicaid, some commercial insurance and private donations. Hope
Hospice has never turned anyone away who qualifies for hospice unless it is
their choice to have more than comfort care. If a patient has no insurance
coverage we still give them the quality compassionate care they deserve without
any cost. Hope Hospice does not charge co-pays for prescriptions or supplies
related to the illness. Most hospices charge co-pays or have “sliding scales”
for both care and prescriptions. Hope Hospice has one nurse for every eight
patients to manage their care. The industry average is one nurse for every
18-25 patients. Hope Hospice provides massage therapy for patients. We have a
great bereavement program as well as counseling for family at no cost. We are
currently starting a program called, “No One Dies Alone” for our patients in
facilities. Our social services have “We Honor Veterans” program in correlation
with the VFW and American Legion. We have activities in our local nursing
facilities and retirement communities. Hope Hospice has also invested in an
Inpatient unit allowing our most critical patients to use when symptoms cannot
be controlled at home. We have a dedicated unit of three beds located at
Logansport Memorial Hospital. This is the only inpatient unit available between
South Bend and Indianapolis. No other hospice can offer this service. If a
patient on hospice improves, many times we are able to enroll them in Hope Home
Care, another service we provide our community.
One of the most important things to know about hospice
care is the patient and their families have choices. There are several agencies
in our area that one can choose. There are several factors we feel are
important to know when choosing a hospice to care for you or your loved ones.
First, ask what their responsiveness is when care is needed right away. My mother always said, “If you need a nurse
because you’re having trouble breathing, how long is too long to not breathe?”
Hope Hospice has taken the stance that we will not be more than 30 minutes away
from any of our patients at any given time. Hope Hospice is the ONLY local
hospice in the area. All the others you see advertised are from outside our
area, as far as South Bend and Kokomo. Second, ask what your financial
responsibility is going to be. Many other hospices will not charge co-pays up
front, but the longer you are on service they will begin charging for
prescriptions, supplies and if there is a co-pay for their Medicare or
insurance. Third, ask who directs your care. Many other hospices use their
medical directors to direct your care. Hope Hospice believes YOUR personal
physician should direct your care, not a doctor you have not seen. We have a
great relationship with Woodlawn doctors and all area physicians. Fourth, ask
if they are for-profit or not-for-profit. There is a difference in our area.
Hope Hospice is directed by an independent volunteer board of directors not
investors. When we grow, so do our services. Our board members are: David Helt,
Darren Beeker, Phil Pratt, Brandon Miller, Ron Purkey, Sarah Purkey and Brenda
Purkey. They are all part of our community and care for the community’s health
care, not profits.
What is hospice? Who qualifies? When do I call? How do
I sign on? All of these are very good questions and I will answer them as
simply as possible. First, hospice is a healthcare service for anyone who is
told by a doctor they have six months or less to live from their disease. It is
for the person who has decided not to pursue any further curative treatment for
their disease. Hospice care is an option for a person who wants and needs
medical care and symptom control (pain, nausea, breathing distress and other
symptoms) but has been told by their doctor a cure is not possible. Hospice is
there to manage your symptoms through medication, oxygen, medical equipment,
nursing care under the guidance of your physician. But the most important thing
that hospice does is the spiritual and emotional support to the patient and
their families and loved ones. Counseling, bereavement and support are the
reasons Hope Hospice was founded.
Persons suffering from terminal cancer, heart, lung,
kidney and Alzheimer’s disease qualify for hospice services. A majority of our families in our surveys
state they wished they had called sooner not later. Hospice care is not just
for the last two weeks or days. Six months is a long time. People need to
realize they don’t have to go through this alone. Privacy is very important to
Hope Hospice and their patients. You will not see vehicles with “billboards”
all over them. We are discreet in your care. If you have a friend or loved one
who you believe would qualify for hospice, remember you have a choice in your
care. If you are interested in more information about hospice care feel free to
contact me anytime at 574-224-4673. Ask for Dan and I can talk to you or get
the information you need.
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