Bereavement Professional

Hi Melia,

We refer to the NHPCO Guidelines for Bereavement Care in Hospice. Revised Edition 2017

Re: Caseload pgs. 12-13

Guidelines: Determine bereavement caseloads by considering:

• The hospice administration's expectations
• Number of hospice bereaved individuals served
• Scope of services available and provided
• Comparisons with hospice bereavement programs of similar size and scope

NHPCO service guidelines for staffing ratios and caseload assignments recommend one staff person to every 200-300 patient deaths.  However, the number of patient deaths does not equal the number of bereaved affected by the death. For example, the bereaved for one family could include a spouse, five adults, children and many grandchildren who might all be interested in bereavement services. This ratio does not consider the other responsibilities or the focus of the hospice bereavement program.  Bereavement program activities, level of community involvement, and use of trained volunteers can create significant variations in this ratio.

If establishing caseload size is necessary, consider the following:

• Administrative responsibilities
• Degree of involvement with the interdisciplinary team
• Geography: Rural, urban or both; Travel time and distance
• Other staff resources for bereavement care: Counselors, Social Workers, Chaplains
• Program development, implementation, coordination and evaluation responsibilities
• Scope of services: Mailings; Support Group offerings; Memorial services and other commemorative events; Individual or family counseling; Educational programs; School programs; Specialty bereavement services such as crisis response
• Service locations: Office; Skilled nursing or assisted living facilities; Hospice residences or inpatient facilities; Home; Schools; Hospitals; Community Centers
• Scope of community services: Educational presentations; Grief education and support for community bereaved; Grief education and support for schools, corporations, area agencies
• Availability of volunteers to provide bereavement support via: Telephone calls; Individual visits; Office support; Support group assistance; Commemorative event assistance
• Resources for selection, training, supervision and retention of bereavement volunteers

Regulatory Requirement: Medicare CoP: There are no applicable requirements

NHPCO Standards of Practice for Hospice Programs: Patient and Family-Centered Care (PFC). PFC20-the hospice utilizes qualified staff and volunteers to provide bereavement services.

Debbie Pausig, MFT, LMFT, Certified in Thanatology

Hospice Bereavement Coordinator

Home Care Plus Community Healthcare & Hospice

Yale New Haven Health

753 Boston Post Rd., Guilford, CT 06437

PH:203.453.7663

Deborah.Kornitsky-Pausig@ynhh.org

NHPCO Bereavement Steering Committee Member