What bereavement services does the hospice offer and for how long? Are these services provided by the hospice or contracted out to another organization? Which family members and friends are included in the bereavement support? Does the hospice sponsor a support group of some kind?

• Does the hospice provide physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and dietary counseling on a regular basis or only occasionally? How is the need determined?
• What medical equipment is typically provided to a patient? (Equipment can include fully electric hospital beds, alternating pressure mattresses, bedside commodes, walkers, wheelchairs, shower chairs, oxygen if ordered by your doctor, nebulizers if ordered by your doctor, and more.) How quickly can the equipment be delivered, and how is it maintained? What if there’s a problem with a piece of equipment “after hours”?
• How does the hospice determine what medications it will provide if the patient is enrolled in the Hospice Medicare Benefit?
• How often does each of the staff members visit the patient?
• How is on-call service provided after hours and on weekends? How rapid is the response?
• What is the hospice’s policy on palliative radiation and chemotherapy? How does the hospice define these therapies?