O’Fallon, Missouri Apr 24, 2026 (Issuewire.com) As hospice industry leaders push for sweeping quality reforms calling for defined staffing ratios, expanded clinician training, and greater accountability across the board SonderCare is reinforcing its commitment to the families navigating end-of-life care at home. The company’s hospital-grade home beds are designed to fill one of the most overlooked gaps in hospice quality: the physical environment where patients spend their final days.
The Case for Reform
A recent analysis published by Hospice News, “Keys to Reinvigorating Hospice Quality,” captures an industry at a crossroads. With demand for end-of-life care surging as all Baby Boomers will be over 65 by 2030, leading voices in hospice and palliative medicine are calling for standards that match the complexity of care being delivered.
Dr. Ira Byock of Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and Clinical Transformation Specialists identified the core challenge plainly: fraud, inadequate staff ratios, and inconsistent training requirements are undermining the delivery of quality care. He called for clear minimum staffing standards and crisis response expectations. Dr. Kimberly Curseen, board president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, framed the equity dimension: “If you create and design something that can be accessed for people who have the most difficulty accessing it, then everyone has access.”
The backdrop is unforgiving. A 2025 Hospice News and Homecare Homebase survey found staffing shortages were the top concern for 35% of hospice executives ahead of finances, regulation, and growth. Research has shown that burnout among hospice and palliative care clinicians runs as high as 62%, with emotional exhaustion directly tied to care quality lapses and increased patient risk. Meanwhile, $220 million in reduced Medicare reimbursements for 2026 leaves providers with less margin to absorb those pressures.
SonderCare’s Perspective
For Ben Martin, President of SonderCare, the reform conversation resonates with something the company has long understood about home hospice care.
“When a hospice team is stretched thin fewer visits, harder caseloads, mounting documentation requirements the equipment in the home becomes even more critical,” said Martin. “A hospital-grade bed that positions a patient correctly, reduces fall risk, and supports safe caregiver transfers isn’t a luxury at that point. It’s what stands between comfort and preventable harm.”
The connection between clinical workforce pressures and home equipment is direct. When staffing ratios are strained, each visit must accomplish more. Caregiving tasks that require two people repositioning, transfers, wound care access become unmanageable without properly adjustable beds. Family caregivers, often with no clinical training, fill gaps between visits. The equipment they work with either amplifies or compounds their effort.
“What hospice leaders are asking for higher standards, more accountability, better outcomes we believe starts with what’s actually in the room,” said Martin. “Our job is to make sure the bed isn’t the weak link.”
What SonderCare Brings to Hospice Home Care
SonderCare’s Aura Premium Hospital Bed, at $6,999 and certified to the International Hospital Standard, is designed for exactly the care environment hospice patients occupy. Key capabilities include:
- FallSafe Ultra-Low Height lowers the platform to 10 inches (17 inches to mattress top), reducing fall risk for patients with declining mobility
- Full Positioning Suite Trendelenburg, Zero Gravity, Cardiac Chair, and Comfort Chair positions support respiratory comfort, pressure redistribution, and pain management
- Hi-Lo Adjustment raises from 10 to 39 inches for safe caregiver transfers without back strain, critical when professional staff visits are limited
- 21-Inch Pre-Programmed Transfer Position supports wheelchair-to-bed transitions without requiring clinical expertise
For patients with skin integrity concerns a frequent complication in extended comfort care SonderCare’s Alternating Pressure Air Mattress ($2,999) provides 18 independently cycling air bladders for wound care and pressure sore prevention.
These are not add-ons to hospice care. They are the infrastructure that allows hospice care to work.
Looking Ahead
SonderCare stands with the hospice and palliative care community in its push for higher standards. As the sector builds the frameworks to measure and enforce quality, the physical tools of home care must be part of that conversation.
Families navigating end-of-life care deserve an environment that supports both the patient and the caregivers giving everything they have. To learn more about SonderCare’s home hospital beds and how they support hospice and palliative care at home, visit www.sondercare.com/beds/.
About SonderCare
SonderCare is a premium home hospital bed manufacturer dedicated to enhancing safety, comfort, and dignity for individuals aging in place or requiring home care. With over 25 years of healthcare expertise, SonderCare’s FDA-registered, hospital-grade beds combine medical functionality with furniture-grade residential design. The company’s product line includes the Aura Premium, Aura Platinum, and Aura Companion beds, featuring FallSafe ultra-low height technology, full positioning suites, and white-glove delivery service. For more information, visit www.sondercare.com.
Source :SonderCare
This article was originally published by IssueWire. Read the original article here.
