Scheduling Hospice Visits

Hospice visits are scheduled in a similar manner to scheduling Quality of Life visits and for similar reasons.  Properly doing a Hospice visit is a lengthy process.  

Hospice visit can only be scheduled after a Quality of Life assessment visit has been completed as it is unrealistic for a doctor to gather all the history he/she needs in order to understand what is happening with the pet, assess the pet, come up with a treatment plan AND go over this plan and educate the family within a one hour consultation.  

If the family insists that their pet needs fluids or pain meds or something urgent, we are not necessarily the correct service for that family.  We are not a full service veterinary hospital.  We have limited drugs and fluids that we keep on hand because we just don’t have the volume of calls that justify stocking and preparing for all hospice eventualities.  Therefore, please tell the client that if their pet needs urgent treatments, they should schedule with their veterinarian or with an urgent care.  You may tell the family that we can schedule a QoL at this time and that if will be at the doctor’s discretion, depending on time and available resources,  if the doctor is able to administer treatments during the same visit and that a subsequent visit will probably need to be scheduled for devising the treatment plan, ordering the necessary drugs and administer any drugs/fluids.  PLEASE GIVE AS MUCH INFORMATION TO THE DOCTOR AS POSSIBLE so that the doctor can come as prepared as possible (ready to give fluids, etc…).  

The Hospice Visit History form has to be filled out ahead of time.  See the additional fee if that form is not filled out.