Hospice Interview

Hospice Interview

Hospice was my choice to learn more about; I hear so many good things involving people and the care of Hospice so I decided to seek out more information and conduct my interview regarding what Hospice offers, what programs are available, and other topics related to learning information provided by Shirley Haan. Shirley is a Hospice director and has been in that field for 27 years, she was willing to sit and answer any questions that came to mind and was very pleased to offer her assistance to me. I conducted my interview over the phone and I was amazed about the way she was willing to assist me and offer her insight on Hospice. Here you will find a list of questions and the answers and hopefully they give you some insight to what Hospice is all about.

Q. What is Hospice?

A. Hospice is a type of care that provides comprehensive, loving support for people with life limiting illnesses that have progressed beyond a doctor's expectation of a cure. Hospice is there for people to live their final days surrounded by loved ones.

Q. How much does Hospice cost?

A. Hospice is free to patients and their families. It is paid through Medicaid, private insurance, and the support of the community (donations).

Q. When should an individual seek Hospice care?

A. That is really up to the family but Hospice care works best when the family seeks it out early after learning the life-limiting diagnosis. It is found that people who receive Hospice live longer than those that do not enroll in Hospice.

Q. Where are Hospices located?

A. They are located all over the United States; even most of the smallest towns have a hospice program to patients and family. Hospice is offered; in home, in nursing homes, and even have in patient housing available.

Q. Is Hospice only for the elderly?

A. No, not at all. In the early days Hospice cared primarily for the elderly but over the years, Hospice utilization has grown and many more patients of all ages are electing the services. We are seeing an increasing numbers of families of terminally ill children choosing Hospice for them.

Q. Does the patient must have a primary caregiver to be eligible for Hospice?

A. In the past, some hospices required a primary caregiver. This is not now the case for most Hospice programs here in Michigan.

Q. Does Hospice provide good psychosocial supports for their