September 17, 2007
COMMENTARY: Taking care | Hospice services offer health care organizations a competitive edge
By Karen Kinder, Clinical Services Coordinator, Allegiance Hospice Care Of Maine, South Portland
The benefits of hospice care to patients, their families and caregivers are well-documented. Hospice helps assure that patients facing the end of life die with dignity and as comfortably as possible; patients' families receive support in their grieving and have the benefit of knowing their loved ones are well-cared for; and caregivers also receive vital support when patients for whom they have cared ˆ and with whom they have developed relationships ˆ die.
Death can be a physically and emotionally traumatic experience for patients, and it can also be equally as devastating for the loved ones and caregivers of those who die. Hospice is the one health care service that is designed to help patients, family members and caregivers alike.
Yet in spite of all of these benefits, most Maine health care organizations and senior-living companies still don't offer hospice. In fact, one survey placed Maine near the bottom when it comes to hospice utilization ˆ 48th out of 50 states. More recent statistics have shown a slight improvement in utilization of hospice in Maine.
Those health care and senior care organizations ˆ including nursing homes, residential care facilities and assisted living ˆ that don't offer hospice services aren't just hurting their residents, they are potentially harming their organizations. As valuable as hospice is to people at the end of life and their families, it can also provide important benefits to the health care and senior care organizations themselves.
The most obvious benefit is improved quality of care. Death is a constant concern for both senior living communities and hospitals, and the frequency of death dictates that such organizations have effective programs in place for dealing with end-of-life issues. Hospice is the most effective way to assure that a person's death is as comfortable and pain-free as possible.
One of the most important roles of a caregiver is to be an advocate for the individual. Health care providers often have to help individuals and their families navigate their benefits and explore all of their options regarding end-of-life care. Hospice is among the most powerful of these options, and facilities that offer the service have a huge quality-of-care advantage over those that don't. And facilities that have a reputation for quality-of-care excellence have a vital competitive edge over their competition, both in terms of appealing to prospective residents and attracting the most qualified staff.
An equally important component of hospice provides direct benefits to employees of a senior living residence or medical facility. Studies have shown that the hospice approach has a positive "spill-over" effect on caregivers. Caring for patients who are at the end of life can take a toll on caregivers, and hospice can provide an important emotional and spiritual benefit to them. This is a vital issue for an industry that suffers from extraordinarily high rates of staff turnover.
Who provides hospice?
Even senior-care and hospital administrators who recognize the benefits of hospice often have trouble implementing programs for their facilities. Some don't know how to get started, while others worry that contracting with an outside hospice agency will be too costly.
For senior living administrators, the predominant fear is that they will have to bear the cost of introducing hospice service. However, this fear is unfounded. Hospice is a benefit to which every senior is entitled, and it is part of the federal Medicare program. Hospice providers bill Medicare directly for their services, and the funds that pay for hospice are entirely separate.
A different issue confronts many medical facilities. Since they already have nursing staff who can dispense medication, and chaplains who can provide spiritual guidance, many hospitals try to cobble together hospice programs from existing resources. The problem with this informal approach is that it can only provide for some of the elements that make up a successful hospice program. Effective hospice programs also feature trained volunteers who are able to serve as a bridge between the medical and spiritual sides of hospice. These volunteers add a personal component that can't be found anyplace else.
Finally, choice is a vital factor that is often overlooked. No matter how good a hospice provider is, it can't be the perfect match for every individual hospice patient. Every person is unique and has different needs and desires. That is why it is so important for senior care residences and medical institutions to offer a choice of hospice providers. The end of a person's life can be an intense, emotional and difficult period. It is vital for senior care and health care providers to do everything possible to make sure that the hospice services they are providing are the best match possible for each individual patient.
Death can be a physically and emotionally traumatic experience for patients, and it can also be equally as devastating for the loved ones and caregivers of those who die. Hospice is the one health care service that is designed to help patients, family members and caregivers alike.
Yet in spite of all of these benefits, most Maine health care organizations and senior-living companies still don't offer hospice. In fact, one survey placed Maine near the bottom when it comes to hospice utilization ˆ 48th out of 50 states. More recent statistics have shown a slight improvement in utilization of hospice in Maine.
Those health care and senior care organizations ˆ including nursing homes, residential care facilities and assisted living ˆ that don't offer hospice services aren't just hurting their residents, they are potentially harming their organizations. As valuable as hospice is to people at the end of life and their families, it can also provide important benefits to the health care and senior care organizations themselves.
The most obvious benefit is improved quality of care. Death is a constant concern for both senior living communities and hospitals, and the frequency of death dictates that such organizations have effective programs in place for dealing with end-of-life issues. Hospice is the most effective way to assure that a person's death is as comfortable and pain-free as possible.
One of the most important roles of a caregiver is to be an advocate for the individual. Health care providers often have to help individuals and their families navigate their benefits and explore all of their options regarding end-of-life care. Hospice is among the most powerful of these options, and facilities that offer the service have a huge quality-of-care advantage over those that don't. And facilities that have a reputation for quality-of-care excellence have a vital competitive edge over their competition, both in terms of appealing to prospective residents and attracting the most qualified staff.
An equally important component of hospice provides direct benefits to employees of a senior living residence or medical facility. Studies have shown that the hospice approach has a positive "spill-over" effect on caregivers. Caring for patients who are at the end of life can take a toll on caregivers, and hospice can provide an important emotional and spiritual benefit to them. This is a vital issue for an industry that suffers from extraordinarily high rates of staff turnover.
Who provides hospice?
Even senior-care and hospital administrators who recognize the benefits of hospice often have trouble implementing programs for their facilities. Some don't know how to get started, while others worry that contracting with an outside hospice agency will be too costly.
For senior living administrators, the predominant fear is that they will have to bear the cost of introducing hospice service. However, this fear is unfounded. Hospice is a benefit to which every senior is entitled, and it is part of the federal Medicare program. Hospice providers bill Medicare directly for their services, and the funds that pay for hospice are entirely separate.
A different issue confronts many medical facilities. Since they already have nursing staff who can dispense medication, and chaplains who can provide spiritual guidance, many hospitals try to cobble together hospice programs from existing resources. The problem with this informal approach is that it can only provide for some of the elements that make up a successful hospice program. Effective hospice programs also feature trained volunteers who are able to serve as a bridge between the medical and spiritual sides of hospice. These volunteers add a personal component that can't be found anyplace else.
Finally, choice is a vital factor that is often overlooked. No matter how good a hospice provider is, it can't be the perfect match for every individual hospice patient. Every person is unique and has different needs and desires. That is why it is so important for senior care residences and medical institutions to offer a choice of hospice providers. The end of a person's life can be an intense, emotional and difficult period. It is vital for senior care and health care providers to do everything possible to make sure that the hospice services they are providing are the best match possible for each individual patient.
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