All it takes is a phone call.
The first step in providing compassionate hospice care — in everything we do at Centrica Care Navigators — is the admissions process.
Anyone can make a referral, a suggestion to us that someone they know might be ready for end-of-life care. Often it’s a son or daughter who has our phone number or finds our website, then reaches out to help their parent. Other times, a doctor will point them toward the compassionate care we provide.
When they call, we get some basic information: the patient’s name, date of birth, and their address. We also ask for a name and number for the person making the referral.
We ask, “What made you call?” Sometimes it’s a medical professional’s advice, or because the caller had a friend in a similar situation who turned to Centrica Care Navigators for support. We get a lot of people who have partnered with us before; they had a quality experience when their dad died, for example, and now it’s time to look for some help for mom.
“Sleeping more and eating less”
During the call to admissions, people tell us about their loved one’s medical symptoms, and what they have noticed over the past few days, weeks, or months.
“It’s often sleeping more and eating less,” says Kathy, a registered nurse and one of our admissions coordinators. “Trouble sleeping at night can also be a sign of decline.”
Experience and knowledge help Kathy and the rest of the admissions team to know when to send a nurse out to a patient. Some people are in better condition than they might seem and don’t meet the specific criteria for hospice eligibility at the moment.
But those people aren’t ignored; the caller can be placed in our follow-up program, where one of the admissions team will call and check in regularly. The referrer is encouraged to call back if they notice a decline in a patient.
“You can call at any time, if the person’s symptoms change,” Kathy says. “It’s OK to be ‘early.’ Usually people don’t call soon enough.”
The first nurse visit
Patients who are eligible for care are visited by a registered nurse, who can answer more questions for caregivers and patients than they might have asked over the phone. An admissions nurse is often available within 24 hours of a call. We evaluate patients every day of the week, and work with caregivers and families to schedule the nurse visit.
Nurses often walk into a room with several people — many potential caregivers gather all their family members together to hear the nurse explain the hospice benefit and ask questions. Others may be on the phone.
Families are also encouraged to keep talking with their nurse and everyone on their care team even after the admissions visit. People don’t always think of all their questions right away, and having answers to those questions helps people feel more comfortable with hospice care.
What do caregivers and family members ask? Every situation is unique, but often it’s the basics:
- How long will this first meeting take?” (Around an hour, depending on the number of questions that are asked)
- “Is this paid for?” (Yes, Medicare and most private insurance covers hospice, and there’s no cost to getting a nurse out for the initial informational assessment)
- What if they hate hospice?” (A patient can revoke care if they choose)
- “Will hospice help?” (Definitely, even for people who don’t need end-of-life care immediately)
“Sometimes people find it difficult to call, but we just want them to talk, we want them at ease,” Kathy says.
Just a short conversation
That short initial conversation over the phone really is all that’s necessary for the Centrica Care Navigators team to act. There’s no need to have all of the person’s medical history in a folder or to have their medications available — though any information a caller can provide will be helpful.
What’s most important is that the patient receives compassionate care, and that their loved ones understand that what’s being done for them is what will give them the best quality of life in the time they have remaining.
Admissions is just the first step in a longer process for every hospice patient, and it’s the first place callers can find answers from a skilled, experienced team.
You can learn more by exploring our website or calling Centrica Care Navigators at 269.345.0273.
