Hospice Dallas| IMPORTANCE OF FOLLOW-UP PROCEDURES IN HOSPICE CARE

Following up with patients and their families during or after a service is given is a useful method in creating a more productive system. The most important part of a follow-up procedure is checking any complaints that the patient and their family may  have concerning the hospice’s delivery of services. This will ensure that the patient’s personal care plan is being followed strictly and that there are no misunderstandings or miscommunication s. Maintaining a strong and trustworthy relationship with the patient and their family is an essential part of creating a reliable reputation as a facility.

Hospice deficiencies could arise as a result of a home visit or a clinical record review. If and when a hospice deficiency is identified, they must be recorded on the form CMS-2567. These deficiencies could include, but are not limited to:

• Failure to promote and protect the patient’s rights

• Failure to accurately conduct a patient-specific comprehensive assessment that identifies the patient/family’s need for hospice care and services, and the patient/family’s need for physical, psycho-social, emotional, and spiritual care

• Failure to develop and implement a plan of care that meets the needs identified in the initial or comprehensive assessment

• Failure of the IDG to meet the physical, medical, psycho-social, emotional, and spiritual needs of the hospice patient/family

• Failure to provide all covered services, as necessary, including the continuous home care level of care, respite care and short-term inpatient care

• Failure to provide nursing and physician services, drugs and treatments on a 24 hour basis

• Failure to retain professional management responsibility for all hospice services provided under contract to patients

• Failure to develop, implement, and maintain an effective, ongoing, hospice-wide data-driven QAPI program.

To avoid such deficiencies and complications, it’s important to take a step back and to pay careful attention to every patient, their family, and their individual needs. Following up with a patient and their family emphasizes the respect and strong communication that every hospice should have with their patients, and it also prevents the likelihood of mistakes and mishaps.