Why are early referrals important?

Benton Hospice Service's goal is to provide quality end-of-life care at the earliest appropriate point in a person's illness. We rely on you, the referring physician, to help guide your patients to hospice when the time is right to focus on comfort and pain management.

  • Early admission to hospice creates opportunity for higher quality of remaining life for patient and family through pain and symptom management
  • Early admission allows hospice to provide calm transition rather than "crisis management"
  • Early admission provides a family more support, less stress, and often financial relief throughout their loved one's last days. Hospice can help prevent caregiver exhaustion.
  • Many special hospice services—massage, much needed respite for the caregiver, art, music or animal therapy, life histories—are most appreciated earlier in the illness.
  • If a patient's condition improves, he or she can be discharged and readmitted at a later date.
  • In 2011, the median length of stay for a hospice patient at Benton Hospice Service was 23 days, yet eligibility starts at 180 days. Help us help your patients achieve a higher quality of life at the end of their lives by introducing hospice as early as possible.