Physician Referral
Phsyician Referral
Referring your patient to hospice does not mean you are “giving up” on care, rather, you are recognizing that there is no further curative treatment possible and that a new phase of care is more appropriate for your patient’s needs. The focus can now shift to improving your patient’s quality of life and encouraging your patient to live the remaining time left to its fullest.
As a non-profit hospice, everyone is accepted in our program as long as they are qualified for hospice care. Call us today for more information, 256.350.5585.
Referral Fax: (256) 743-3236
What We Need
Please include the following with the physician referral form:
- Patient Demographic Data
- History and Physical
- Office/Progress Notes
- Lab/Radiology/Pathology/ECHO reports
- Weight History
- Any other pertinent information related to hospice diagnosis
Referral fax number: 256.743.3236
Our Care Team Approach
Our goal is to function as an extension of your medical practice. The broad and diverse needs of hospice patients have led us to build a multidisciplinary team. Our team of nurses, social workers, chaplains and volunteers are what makes us different and insures that we maintain a high-quality continuum of care.
Options for Care
- Hospice care
- In-home
- In-patient
- Respite
- Bereavement
We have many levels of support for your patient. Contact us today to learn more about how Hospice of the Valley can help them and their family, 256.350.5585.
Referral Fax: (256) 743-3236
Evaluating the Need for Hospice Care
As your patients these simple questions and examine your previous progress notes:
- Recent or recurring falls?
- Has their appetite decreased?
- Are there increased hours of sleep?
- Is your patient requiring any assistance with Activities of Daily Living?
- Has your patient had any recent or recurring infections?
- Has your patient recently had one or more hospitalizations/ER visits?
- Are you seeing a trend in their weight loss?
- Is there a recent increase in office visits?
- Has your patient had a decrease/change in mobility?
- Has your patient had a decrease in participation of normal activities?
- Incontinence present or increasing?
All of these may be signs that your patient might be ready for hospice care or approaching readiness.
What We Look For
- Recent hospital admittance
- Increase in falls
- Increased weakness
- Recent recurrent UTI's, PNA, etc.
- Decrease in appetite
- Weight loss
- Increase in assistance with ADL's
- Decrease in mobility (leading to use of assistance devices)
- Decrease in participating of normal hobbies (withdrawal)
- Increased confusion, altered mental status
8 Facts About Hospice
Hospice can add up to 29 days of life with early intervention
A patient's primary care physician can follow them and make decisions regarding care while on hospice
Most, if not all equipment is covered under you hospice benefit
A patient can travel out of state while on hospice services
With most hospices, a patient receives 2 nurse visits per week
Hospice is not a place, it's a service. 67% of patients receive care in their own home
Hospice providers are independent from one another. Non-profit and profit hospices provide a wide range of services
Hospice care can be provided to people at any age diagnosed with a life-limiting illness
Learn More About
Hospice of the Valley
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