An Assessment of the need for Hospice Services in a Rural Area

Abstract

A needs assessment is a research and planning activity designed to determine a community's service needs and utilization patterns. One of the most practical ways to plan services is to secure accurate needs information about those living in its communities. This paper will discuss the conduct of a needs assessment that was undertaken to determine the extent of need for hospice services in a rural county in Pennsylvania. Information was collected from a variety of sources to gather information of importance and interest to a local hospice planning committee. As a result, the information obtained on the extent and kinds of needs faced by the terminally ill and their families in the county was useful in the determination of priorities for program planning and service development. One of the major findings was that respondents perceived the psychological and emotional problems of terminal illness to pose a greater burden than the physical or material problems.