do any home hospices provide linens 4 hospital beds

[AtlantaRN]

just had a patient family member call and ask why linens are not provided for home hospice patient. I've been doing this 4 years and have never worked for an agency that provided linens. We always instruct families to use what they have in the home.

Anyone out there providing linens. family member says his brother was on hospice last yr, and his agency provided linens....maybe he is just blowing smoke......but if anyone out there works for a company that DOES provide-how many sets do you provide for patient?

thanks!

linda

[Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN]

LOL Linda!!

We provide 2 pkg of briefs and 1 pkg of chux every week to all our home pts. We have serveral pts. in one facility and the DON said that they needs 3 pkg of briefs and the chux. The higher ups oked this. Now, one of the private pay families says that our briefs aren't good enough and she wants a certain brand. I'm thinking, "No freaking way!" The higher ups said ok. I'm still thinking that if the briefs we get aren't good enough---buy your own. They seems to be good enough for the Medicaid pts. Guess there is a reason I'm not in management!

[debblynn13]

We supply linens with our hospital beds but we don't supply depends or disposable chux or baby wipes. I usually do have a few in the car for emergencies but it is expected the families will buy the personal items.

Debblynn

[annacnatorn]

We supply linens with our hospital beds but we don't supply depends or disposable chux or baby wipes. I usually do have a few in the car for emergencies but it is expected the families will buy the personal items.

Debblynn

Wow..yours supplies bed linens? I guess its cheaper to buy two sets of sheets vs diapers n chucks. I am amazed as diapers/chucks are a required supply item. How did your hospice get away with that? When mine went through JACHO/Medical/care survey, they looked to see if we were providing diapers/chucks, they never ever asked about bed linens.

[annacnatorn]

Crazy.

And the marketing people.......my husband says "they write checks that your butt can't cash......"

Yep, they sure do. I YELL at my marketers for promising and not delivering. I even called one Marketer who promised a 24hr cg w/in the first week. My admin was not happy w/her and neither was I. I told her she could do volunteer hours! After she stayed w/the fam for 8hrs. she never ever did that again! Whats good for the goose is good for the gander.

[AtlantaRN, RN]

Alot of our new admits have some wrong ideas of what hospice is.....Last week, I went to admit an end stage copd patient, and she is a & 0 x3--family thought I was staying the night (NO.....) Some think that it's 24 hour care at bedside (NO).....

We have a new marketer that is really sweet, and so far she hasn't overpromised.....although the vp of marketing promises the moon (and then doesn't tell nursing what he promised.....then the families get mad because end stage chf patient isn't getting iv fluids........................................... like THAT is what a drowning chf patient needs, IV FLUIDS:uhoh3:

[Ginapixi, BSN, RN]

Is it just me, or do you find that the families who ask for the most things are the ones that have money? At least I guess they do since they have fine houses and round the clock sitters. My patients who don't have much of anything seem to be very happy with ANYTHING that is provided for them. Just saying....

I have seen it both ways! some who have nothing want every thing handed to them, some are grateful for every little thing we provide- some live in huge fancy homes and do not want to spend a penny on needed things..... and some have little but purchased a box of briefs and now are not using them (pt died before they were ever opened) and they donate them;

in terms of wipes: we do not provide them, but we do provide no-rinse peri-wash and that sprayed on heavy duty paper towels works just great!

[Renae Hale]

Our agency does not provides sheets, gowns or anything like that. We do however provides wipes, depends, personal care items like this but if they do not like what we have they have to purchase it themselves. We order our item on line and they are dropped shipped and this has been great!!

[Lyndsb]

The families aren't looking for everything provided for free. They don't realize some things aren't provided because it doesn't cross their mind. They are too worried about their loved ones to be able to go through the check list of things they need to get done. Please have some patience and empathy for these families as they are going through a lot of emotions and are getting ready to say good by to their loved one that they don't wanna see leave. They don't know what to expect since they have never had to go through something like this before. They don't go through this everyday as a job where it deals with strangers. To you they are just a patient but to these families its their family members who they love dearly.

[vampiregirl, BSN, RN]

We provide pull-ups, briefs and disposable chux for our patients. No wipes or personal care products but we do provide barrier cream.

As for linens, we have a limited supply available for patients with limited financial resources if we place a hospital bed but only provide 1 set (unless extremely extenuating circumstances). Those are purchased by a foundation associated with our sponsoring hospital from what I understand. Since the latest recommendation is 100% cotton for safety if oxygen in use, some families don't have 100% cotton sheets already.

It's interesting for me to learn about how other hospices address things.