How do I know when it's time to call Hospice?

If you are on this page and thinking about contacting Hospice, then the time to call Talbot Hospice is now.

Simply researching the stages of hospice care for yourself or your loved one means that you’re already at the point when you should be speaking to a trained Hospice healthcare professional to answer your questions and evaluate if you or your loved one is ready for Talbot Hospice or Talbot Palliative Care.

When patients and family members are asked what they would advise others, the most common response is, “I wish I would have called sooner!”

So if someone you love has been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, now is the right time to call us to learn about Talbot Hospice's benefits and services, and to understand all your options when it comes to starting hospice care. Making an educated decision about end-of-life care is the best thing you can do for someone you love.

Hospice Readiness Assessment

Questions about the patient:

• Has the person you're concerned about visited the emergency room or hospital more than once in the past 6-12 months?
• Has this person made more than one late-night or weekend call to the doctor?
• Is this person ever too sick to keep doctors' appointments?
• Has this person stopped improving with medical treatments?
• Has this person suffered from one or more complications? (For example, pneumonia, weight loss, or skin ulcers?)
• Does this person need help to bathe, dress or eat?

Questions for the Caregiver:

• Are you spending the majority of your day or week taking care of your loved one?  
• Do you feel overwhelmed or isolated?
• Do you feel that you are not getting enough help from others?
• Are you irritable, weepy or having trouble sleeping?
• Is the situation taking a toll on your personal or professional life?
• Is caregiving causing financial strain or stress on your personal relationships?

If you answered yes to three or more of the questions above, you may be ready for Palliative Care or Hospice. Please call our 24-hour Hospice Access Line at 410-822-2724 for information on referring to hospice or for a free in-home consultation.

What to expect when you call Talbot Hospice

Talbot Hospice Stories

Learn how Talbot Hospice helped these families travel the end-of-life journey with their loved one.