1. Will you consult with my neurologist?
   

   Good hospice providers will gladly communicate as needed with your neurologist and will make sure your current treatment plan is being followed. “It’s a red flag if they say no,” says Farrah N. Daly, MD, MBA, a neurologist in Falls Church, VA, affiliated with Reston Hospital Center.

2. Are all your doctors and nurses certified in palliative medicine?
   

   This is crucial, says Dr. Daly, since hospice care operates on the same principles as palliative care, which are to relieve pain, maximize comfort, and improve overall quality of life.

3. How much will the medical director be involved?
   

   A physician or nurse practitioner should be involved in care to make sure the treatment plan is being followed and that symptoms are under control, says James Gordon, MD, FAAN, associate professor of neurology at the University of Washington in Seattle. In addition, certified hospice and palliative care programs have team meetings regularly, and these should include a medical director automatically.

4. How accessible are you?
   

   This is especially important for in-home hospice, since you want to make sure that you can reach someone on the hospice staff at any time and that they can send someone like a nurse or social worker out to your home if there’s a crisis, even at 3 am, says Dr. Daly. Some hospices also have volunteers who can run errands or provide respite care in a pinch.

5. Do you offer an inpatient option?

If you are considering an at-home hospice provider, it’s important to know whether you have additional options in the event that you suddenly develop a serious complication or your caregiver simply becomes overwhelmed. Some hospices have their own private inpatient unit while others lease rooms in a hospital or nursing home, explains Dr. Daly. It’s also important to make sure the hospice offers respite care, so that if family caregivers need a break—whether it’s for a few hours or a few days—there is reliable and responsible nursing care available.