Hospice and palliative care are essential services for anyone who is entering the last phase of their life. Many senior caregivers may rightly wonder which hospice and palliative care facilities, companies, and organizations are worth researching and what to consider when looking.
This article will review what makes hospice and palliative care good and list some of Alaska’s highly-rated senior care facilities.
What To Consider When Researching Hospice and Palliative Care Facilities
There are many things to consider when researching hospice and palliative care facilities. Thankfully, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has a hospice questionnaire people can cross-reference when considering hospice and palliative care options.
A few of the notable questions featured in the NHPCO’s questionnaire are:
- Is the facility for-profit or not-for-profit?
- How many years has it operated?
- Is both palliative and hospice care available?
- Is there an inpatient unit as well as home care?
- Is it Medicare-certified?
To develop this list, I used the above comparison points to determine if the hospice and palliative care facilities were worth considering. (Note that not all providers check all the “boxes.” I didn’t eliminate these providers because I acknowledge a website can only tell you so much. I recommend calling each provider listed to get all their details.) There were only six hospices listed on NHPCO’s site in Alaska, and of those, one is not medicare certified. Therefore, I decided to include all providers (not including the hospice that isn’t medicare certified) and looked each provider up on Google to include the collective Google rating when one was listed. Note that these hospice and palliative care facilities are not rated in any particular order. As always, with lists such as this, I encourage you and your loved one to do unique online research and to ask a trusted doctor, and possibly a social worker, for their thoughts on hospice and palliative care facilities in your area, too. (Another helpful decision-making tool is Medicare.gov’s provider comparison service.)
Top Hospice And Palliative Care Facilities in Alaska
1. Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Services (3-star Google rating out of 88 reviews)
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Services offers hospice and palliative care in Fairbanks, Alaska, and was founded in 1972. This hospice provider is Medicare-certified, not-for-profit, and accredited by a joint commission. It also offers standard hospice care, but it’s unclear where the hospice will provide care (in-home, inpatient, etc.).
2. Mat-Su Regional Hospice (no Google rating listed)
Mat-Su Regional Hospice offers service in Wasilla, Alaska. It’s state-licensed/accredited, medicare certified, accredited by a joint commission, and for-profit. Unfortunately, I could not determine where this hospice provides care (in a patient’s home, facility, etc.). And although I could not determine when Mat-Su Regional Hospice was founded, I discovered that it was medicare certified in 1993, which means it’s been open for many years. It’s also unclear if Mat-Su Reginal has a palliative care program.
3. Frontier Home Health and Hospice (no Google rating listed)
Frontier Home Health and Hospice is in Anchorage, Alaska, but the Frontier chain also has locations in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming. This hospice branch was founded in 1996 and appears only to provide in-home patient care. Frontier also is medicare certified. As a company, Frontier provides palliative care and is a partner with the We Honor Veterans program. (The NHPCO, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs, developed the “We Honor Veterans” campaign.) In addition to providing standard hospice care, Frontier also has comprehensive bereavement and grief assistance. Unfortunately, I could not determine who accredits/licenses Frontier and if it is for or not for profit.
4. Providence Hospice (no Google rating listed)
Providence Hospice serves Anchorage, Alaska. This hospice is medicare certified and provides various levels of care, including continuous care, general inpatient care, respite care, and in-home care. Although Providence provides palliative care, I’m uncertain if this service is available at the Alaska location. I also could not determine who accredits/licenses Frontier and if it is for or not for profit.
5. Catholic Community Service (Hospice & Home Care Juneau) (the community service portion of this organization received a 4-star Google rating)
Catholic Community Service (Hospice & Home Care Juneau) serves Juneau. It’s state-licensed and accredited and medicare certified. This hospice serves people in their homes. Although it’s unclear when this Community Service’s hospice opened, the overall organization was founded in 1973. It doesn’t appear that Hospice & Home Care Juneau provides palliative care, and I could not determine if it is for or not for profit.
