EvenMORE For You

Hospice Care Starts with a Signature

Crossroads Moves Legal Consents Online

At Crossroads compassionate care starts with the very first interaction, which is why we have made a significant improvement to hospice admissions. As of March 2025, all legal consent forms have gone fully digital, easing a typically paperwork-heavy process for patients, families and staff.

Hospice admissions can be overwhelming. A stack of paperwork, multiple signatures and constant back-and-forth often made the process stressful.

Those days are over. Crossroads has moved all legal consent forms online through secure and user-friendly technology including DocuSign.

Previously patients and staff had to manage lengthy packets filled with documents. Now, iPads make it possible to complete all paperwork requiring signatures electronically, quickly, accurately and from anywhere, a huge help to out-of-town families.

Why Change?

“We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” said Crossroads Chief Compliance Officer DeAnna Looper, RN, CHPN, CHPCA, LNC, CHC, CPCO. Paper created constant daily issues. From missing data to hard-to-read physician handwriting, the process was time consuming for staff and confusing for families and patients. Going paperless gives Crossroads the chance to focus our energy on patient care instead of paperwork, DeAnna said.

Along with improving accuracy and accessibility, going digital helps reduce costs. Paper, ink and equipment maintenance all have costs. DeAnna estimates that Crossroads will save over $20,000 annually by cutting these expenses.

Patients now sign once, even when the power of attorney is required and their documents are stored safely and efficiently. The system also filters out unnecessary forms, keeps information clean and allows for fast updates when needed.

Less paper means more presence. With better tools, the team can spend more meaningful time where it matters most, with the patients.

Now-Digital Crossroads Legal Consent Forms

Registration Packet (including Informed Consent & Admission Consents)

• Benefit Election Form
• DNR
• Drug Destruction Policy
• Patient Rights
• Advance Directive Information
• Transfer Form
• ABN
• NOMNC
• Revocation Form
• Safety Contract
• Medication Contract
• No Smoking on Oxygen Contract

Communication Drives Change

By Danny Gutknecht
We all want a better today and a better future, in whatever endeavor we choose. The challenge is that, as a result of how far we’ve come, we can either co-create change - or sit back and have it dictated to us, and no one likes being told what to do, especially when it feels imposed.

In business, positive change is usually measured in terms of growth. Growth tends to follow culture like a shadow—always present, never leading. Typically, growth is the trailing result of a healthy, vibrant, and gradually evolving culture. Every company faces challenges; those that adapt and grow become better, and those that don’t—well, as the old adage goes: no margin, no mission.

So where does change come from? It arises from investing oneself in relationships. No one can self-actualize in isolation. The idea that one person alone is a hero or has achieved something entirely independently is a myth. Yes, we must be accountable to ourselves, but equally important, we must be accountable, honest, and caring toward one another. This is the "work" of "meaning," and the most crucial tool meaning uses is communication.

Think about how much sense this makes. Whenever we have issues, we are usually "working on it." When someone close makes repeated mistakes, we tell them, "You should work on that." Even at home, we might work on dinner or the yard. We’re always communicating—whether we mean to or not. Everything we do communicates something to ourselves or to each other. Even refraining from speaking sends a message, perhaps of disinterest or contemplation. If we don't communicate that contemplation explicitly, we leave it to others to interpret. Poor communication changes things for the worse. 

At Crossroads, we have begun the process of genuinely improving communication. This means Crossroads is committed to positive change, and its members aim to thrive. What you're starting to experience isn’t just solitary reflection—it's collective movement.

Team members at Crossroads have shared early signs of progress. We want to engage with you to explore how Crossroads can become the most trusted, human-centered hospice we all aspire it to be.

Facing Imposter Syndrome
in the Hospice Industry

By Emily Hammer
In the emotionally charged world of hospice care, imposter syndrome can quietly take root even in the most compassionate and capable professionals. Nurses, social workers, chaplains, and caregivers often find themselves questioning their worth and impact, despite being a vital source of comfort and guidance for patients and families during life’s most difficult moments.

Imposter syndrome—feeling like a fraud despite evidence of competence—is particularly common in care-based professions. In hospice, where outcomes aren’t measured by cures but by dignity, presence, and emotional support, it’s easy to wonder, Am I doing enough? The invisible, intangible successes of hospice work—soothing a family, honoring a patient’s wishes, offering peace at the end of life—can make it harder to validate one’s own contributions.

Many hospice professionals also carry the weight of perfectionism and high empathy, traits that can amplify self-doubt. When grief is present every day, and the stakes feel so deeply human, it’s no wonder that even experienced staff may feel uncertain or unworthy.

Combating imposter syndrome begins with acknowledging it. Talking openly with colleagues, seeking supervision or mentorship, and practicing self-compassion are powerful steps. Remind yourself that in hospice, simply being—present, attentive, kind—is often more valuable than doing.

Your work matters. Even when it feels invisible, it leaves a lasting imprint.