Dear Olivia,
We are considering hospice care for our mother nd want to ensure she receives the best care possible. How can we compare the quality of different hospice organizations to make the best choice?
~Concerned About Quality
Dear Concerned About Quality,
There are several ways to evaluate the quality of hospice providers you are considering for your loved one. First, remember that you have the right to choose among different hospice providers. It can be helpful to interview several before making your decision.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) offers a website called Care Compare, which allows you to compare various hospices and their quality scores. These scores, when available, help families select the right hospice provider. VNA of Texas participates in the CMS quality program.
On Care Compare, you can find measures such as family perception survey results, which are expressed in a star rating. There is also a score called the Hospice Care Index (HCI) that evaluates a hospice based on ten different factors related to the delivery and frequency of care. A score of 10 represents the highest quality of care. VNA Hospice has maintained a perfect score of 10 out of 10 since this data has been collected, and we are also proud to be rated as a 4-star hospice.
This information is available for you to review as you navigate these challenging decisions for your loved one. We are dedicated to providing high-quality, patient-centered care to all the patients and families we have the honor of serving.
~Olivia