The Perfect Visit

The Perfect Visit

By: Craig Dresang, CEO

The pursuit of YoloCares’ mission, to provide the highest quality of care to every patient, every family, every time, the agency underwent a re-evaluation of clinical practices in 2022. With each patient’s experience at the heart of the reassessment, YoloCares collaborated with high-quality hospice providers across the country to perfect the structure and character of patient visits. By leaning on expertise of the best, most highly rated, hospice and palliative care providers from coast to coast, YoloCares developed a training strategy for clinicians that focused on human connection, respect, and compassion.

Known as “The Perfect Visit”, this multi-step approach to patient care cuts right to what is most important to patients and their caregivers, ensuring that each visit hits the high marks of exceptional care that has been part of the agency’s 50-year legacy. YoloCares’ clinicians now participate in annual training and are routinely evaluated on more than 30 key components of a patient visit.

Many of these metrics focus on the medical needs of a patient, from head-to-toe nursing assessments and conferring with the medical director about changes in each patient’s condition. However, the elements of The Perfect Visit that leave the biggest impact on families touch the humanistic side of hospice care.

Clinicians learn how to better teach care techniques to family members so they can feel prepared for the rigors of caregiving. There is a deep focus on building a connection with each family by being inquisitive, warm, and communicative. Finally, each visit concludes with a simple sentiment: “Is there anything else I can do for you today? I have time.”

Since implementing the “Perfect Visit,” YoloCares has seen most of its publicly reported patient-care quality scores consistently exceed state and national averages. However, the clearest confirmation that the organization’s care model is having a positive impact on the lives of patients and families routinely comes in the form of a letter. The following letter was received in March from a family member who lives in San Fernando, CA:

Dear Hospice Team,

My name is Lidia Olivares, and I am the daughter of Antonio Olivarez Hernandez. I am writing this letter on behalf of my entire family to express the deepest gratitude for the exceptional care, and compassion your hospice team extended to my father, and my family. Dealing with a loved one who is terminally ill is a challenging journey, and your team, especially Nurse Karin, Samantha Walker, and Home Health Aid Sara, assisted both my father and family to navigate us through these emotional times.
The medical status of my father placed our family in moments of doubt, and the fear of the uncertainty that awaited us with each passing day. Each and every one of your members demonstrated their dedication and compassion, which illuminated the light for us to see that we had an extended family with your staff that would ease the burden of our pain. They did not treat my father as a patient, but as man who represented many roles to our family, and most importantly to me as my father. During every interaction, your staff treated my father with the upmost dignity and respect and showed empathy to my entire family. They provided round-the-clock care and were always welcoming with any questions the family had to ensure we had no pending issues or concerns. My father’s care team quickly established a supportive environment and gave us the absolute confidence that my father was being given the best possible care available.

I would really like to commend your staff for their professionalism, empathy, and mostly for providing comfort and dignity to my father during his final days. Some of our family reside in Los Angeles, the City of Angeles, but I quickly learned that your staff are the true angels that gave us the strength and support to go through this journey.

I want your staff to know that their dedication and commitment positively impacts the lives of the family members that are left behind to heal and mourn the loss of their loved ones. They are making a difference in the lives of many families. I wish I could find the words to fully express the gratitude my family and I have with all those who were involved with my father’s care; however, no words can fully express how grateful we are. Please extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who assisted with my father’s care.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts and for everything your staff did for my father and family. We will forever be grateful for the love and support your staff provided during our difficult journey.

With deepest gratitude,
Lidia Olivares