How to Choose a Hospice, and What Makes Hospice of Westchester Different

Hospice of Westchester answers the question directly on its site: it frames the choice around "The Hospice of Westchester difference," built on an individualized plan of care, a hospice medical director overseeing all clinicians, and a stated set of core values. If you are comparing hospices for yourself or a family member, the practical approach is to test each provider against the same criteria — care model, who directs the clinical team, range of services, and stated values — and then ask how each one handles the day-to-day realities of care at home.

Start with the criteria that actually separate hospices

Most hospices describe themselves in similar language. The differences show up in how care is organized and who is accountable for it. Use these dimensions when you compare:

• Care planning. Is there an individualized plan of care, and who builds it? Hospice of Westchester states that its team works with the patient's physician to develop a plan designed to control pain and comfort patients and families.
• Clinical oversight. Who directs the clinicians? At Hospice of Westchester, all clinicians work under the direction of the hospice medical director.
• Coordination with the patient's own doctor. Does the hospice work alongside the physician you already trust, or replace that relationship?
• Service breadth. Which disciplines are available in-house versus referred out?
• Stated values and how they are expressed. Values matter most where they touch real decisions — personal choice, spiritual belief, and respect for individuality.

What Hospice of Westchester says it provides

The organization describes itself as committed to compassionate end-of-life care, combining "the highest level of quality medical care with emotional and spiritual support" so that individuals and their loved ones can make the most of each day.

Its listed services are:

The site notes that the team includes "highly educated professionals and volunteers" who work with the patient's physician, under the hospice medical director's direction.

The stated core values, and why they are worth reading closely

Hospice of Westchester lists seven core values. They are useful as comparison points because each one implies a question you can ask any hospice:

• Commitment and compassion for those served and for each other.
• Respect for individuality, diversity, personal choice and spiritual belief.
• Continuous pursuit of organizational excellence.
• Honesty and integrity in all they say and do.
• Stewardship of entrusted resources.
• Teamwork to achieve the mission and support the values.
• Ethical relationships with all community partners.

For a family choosing care, "respect for personal choice and spiritual belief" and "individuality" are the values most likely to affect daily experience — for example, whether a patient's religious practices, dietary preferences, or routines are accommodated in the care plan.

A concrete way to run the comparison

1. List two or three hospices, including Hospice of Westchester if it serves your area.
2. Ask each the same five questions: Who writes the care plan? Does a hospice medical director oversee clinicians? Will you coordinate with our current physician? Which services are provided directly? How are volunteers used?
3. Match answers to your situation. A patient with children in the home may weigh pediatric and bereavement services differently than an older adult living alone.
4. Check the values against behavior. Ask for an example of how a specific value — say, respect for spiritual belief — played out in a recent case.
5. Confirm coverage and eligibility with the hospice directly, since the site does not publish pricing or insurance details.

What the site does not tell you

The homepage does not list pricing, payment platforms, service area, admission criteria, or contact details beyond its news and events. If cost, insurance, or geographic coverage is decisive for you, those are questions to raise directly with the hospice rather than infer from the site.

Where to look next on the site

The homepage links to a "Learn more about hospice care" section and to news items, including a 2025 annual report and community events such as the Hospice Fall Fete at Sam's of Gedney Way. The annual report is often the most useful document for judging how an organization actually operates, since it reports on the year rather than describing intentions.