This is a number Hospice leaders should be very aware of as it is part of the CoP's for any Medicare Hospice. Per the CoP's: Volunteers must provide day-to-day administrative and/or direct patient care services in an amount that, at a minimum, equals five (5) percent of the total patient care hours of all paid Hospice employees and contract staff. The Hospice must maintain records on the use of volunteers for patient care and administrative services, including the type of services and time worked.
We encourage Hospices to exceed that -- to increase the volunteer percentage from 5% to 8%. This not only lowers costs, but also gets Hospices out into the community, fosters more community involvement, and links our industry back to its roots. We are a movement that came from the front porches and church basements of this country, and too many Hospices have forgotten those roots!
| Volunteer Services | ||
|---|---|---|
| Average | Acceptable | Excellent |
| 8% | 5% | 15% |