HOSPICE CARE

Benefits of a High Staff-to-Patient Ratio

At Inspire Hospice and Palliative Care, we have an industry-leading staff-to-patient ratio. This is one of the standout features that sets us apart from other hospices in Georgia. Why is a high staff-to-patient ratio important for hospice care? Let’s go over some of the benefits.

1. Avoids Preventable Discrepancies. If there is a low staff-to-patient ratio, staff members are stretched thin. Each individual professional has to scramble to keep up with more patients, rather than being able to focus on fewer of them over the course of the day. Multi-tasking and rushing become the norm. This can make medical staff prone to discrepancies. But with a high staff-to-patient ratio, staff are able to spend a lot more time with each patient. Since they are less rushed, discrepancies in care can be avoided, resulting in safe and effective treatments.
2. Staff can provide more personal service. Being able to spend more time with each individual patient also results in more personal attention to each patient’s needs. Staff are able to get to know their patients much better this way, keeping track of the nuances of their conditions, their preferences, their personalities, and other individual factors that can influence their care needs. They also are likely to remember more about their patients from one day to the next.
3. Teams work better together. When a hospice has a high staff-to-patient ratio, team members are able to pool their resources more effectively. When discussing a patient, they can have a more in-depth conversation about that patient’s needs. Each of them will have more insights into the patient than they would have if they were rushing between more patients. They will have more time in between patients too. So as a team, they’ll coordinate better, resulting in a further boost to the patient’s quality of care.
4. Overall experience is better. We have talked about how and why a high staff-to-patient ratio results in better treatments. But from the patient’s point of view, the benefits can go further. Patients can tell when their healthcare providers are rushed and stressed. It can make it every bit as unpleasant for the patient to deal with them as it may feel for the overworked healthcare professional. But when staff have fewer patients to attend to, they tend to be more relaxed, happy and focused. This comes through in their manner and approach. In short, their bedside manners tend to improve. This can make it much more pleasant for the patient. In fact, there may even be enough time to build a meaningful rapport that is rewarding for both.

Learn More About Our Hospice Services in GA

If you want to find out more about what makes Inspire Hospice and Palliative Care different, or you would like to discuss hospice for yourself or your loved one, please call us at (404) 921-3341 to schedule your consultation. We have locations in Athens, Newnan, Atlanta, Gainesville, Duluth, and Kennesaw, and offer compassionate hospice care across 50 counties.