Anyone can refer a patient to hospice and any patient diagnosed with a life-limiting illness qualifies for Hospice Services of Massachusetts and Hospice of Western & Central Massachusetts.
Patients can self-refer or elect to go through their doctors, family members, friends, counselors, nursing home administrators, or hospital discharge planners.
After contacting hospice services, one of our highly trained hospice nurses, social workers, or an admitting team member will call within 2 hours to schedule a meeting with the patient and family. Should anyone other than the patient’s doctor first contact us, a courtesy call to the patient’s doctor is made to gather information about the diagnosis, confirm a terminal diagnosis, and determine whether the patient is appropriate for hospice care.
A nurse or social worker then meets to introduce Hospice Services of Massachusetts and Hospice of Western & Central Massachusetts, assess needs, and sign consent forms after all questions are answered.
Once the nurse has evaluated the patient’s medical records and finalized a personal care plan, a second meeting is held to review and sign admitting documents. Care begins.
