When patients require hospice or palliative care, it can be a complicated transition for them, their families, and even their physicians. At Ardent Hospice & Palliative care, we work with our referral partners—doctors, nurses, and assisted living coordinators—to create a plan of care that minimizes worries and maximizes comfort and peace of mind for those patients and their families. Providing exceptional care to our patients all begins with building trusting relationship with our referral partners. These are the seven things we want our partners to know about Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care.
1. We’re here to support you just as much as we support our patients and their families.
While our primary focus is to be there and care for our patients, we also make an effort to support the facilities and referral partners we work with as well. By conforming to your policies and striving to build trust and rapport, we believe we’re able to provide better care for our partners and patients alike. The support we provide is dependent on each partner’s situation and preference; for example, we can fully take over your patient’s care immediately, or keep you involved and provide constant communication about the patient’s health.
2. We can provide hospice care in many different environments.
Because our referrals come from many different sources, we are familiar with caring for patients in a wide variety of settings. Whether it’s a home, hospital, nursing facility, or assisted living center, we tailor our care to the patient’s environment. As we work with new facilities and referral partners, we’re able to develop stronger relationships and provide more customized care to our patients based on their needs and environment.
3. We’re flexible and will work with you on your terms.
One of the reasons we’re able to work with so many different types of referral partners is because we are a smaller, privately owned agency, which means we can flex to fit our partners’ needs. We provide support and services to that are tailored to you, rather than making you conform to our needs or protocol. We take your past experience, future goals, and current processes into consideration when we map out a care plan and transition a patient into our care.
4. Our quick response time means they’ll receive care immediately.
When a patient is referred to us, we make it a point to contact them and their family immediately. We are able to quickly begin the intake process and get everything in place—including any necessary durable medical equipment—right away. We know that when a patient is discharging from a hospital, they are most vulnerable, so it’s essential we make sure they are comfortable and cared for as soon as they leave.
The quick response time continues once the patient is on hospice care. Our nurses are available 24/7 to answer phone calls from patients and their families, and we will go out to a patient’s home or residence at any time if needed.
5. Our palliative program allows us to provide a greater breadth of services.
By including a palliative program in our range of services, we’re able to offer greater, more personalized care to patients because we are able to treat them before they are even admitted into hospice. This allows us to better understand their diagnosis and build a relationship with their primary care physician so that there is a smooth transition into hospice care. It also means we can begin aiding physicians, nurses, and facilities at an earlier time as well.
6. Patients can continue to receive care from their primary physician.
If a patient is receiving palliative care, the curative measures provided by their primary physician can continue. While those procedures cannot occur while on hospice, we work with their doctors to create a care plan that focuses on the measures that were bringing the patient comfort. Though on a case-by-case basis, we may also continue to provide the antibiotics or medications that are providing comfort. It’s our goal to work with a patient’s doctors to give the patient the best possible quality of life while at the end of life, through whatever means necessary.
7. Your patient’s services will most likely be covered by insurance.
At Ardent, it’s important to us that our patients receive incredible care and support without worrying about the cost of services. We work with many insurance companies and policies, such as Medicare and Medi-Cal, to minimize the out-of-pocket costs for patients. Many insurance policies offer full coverage for hospice services, so medical equipment, medication, or supplies related to their diagnosis are provided at no cost. We also accept private insurance and other forms of reimbursement, which may be necessary for palliative care services.
If you have a patient or resident who needs support and comfort during their end of life journey, Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care can be your trusted partner in delivering their care. Visit us online or call us at (858) 952-1786 to schedule a patient consultation.
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