About Ascend Hospice
Hospice overview and quality summary
Ascend Hospice is a for-profit hospice care provider in Cranford, NJ, serving patients and families in Union County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 1995, Ascend Hospice has provided 31 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.
Ascend Hospice serves an average of 286 patients per day, covering 332 ZIP codes across its service area. 21% of care is delivered in patients' homes, consistent with the hospice philosophy of enabling comfort care in familiar surroundings.
CMS has assigned Ascend Hospice a 3-star quality rating based on caregiver survey feedback, indicating average satisfaction with the hospice's care. The facility's Hospice Care Index score is 10 out of 10, a composite measure of care quality and efficiency. 20 physicians are affiliated with this hospice.
When choosing hospice care in Cranford, NJ, consider quality ratings, caregiver satisfaction surveys, the hospice's experience with your loved one's condition, and the service area. Since hospice care is typically delivered in the home, the responsiveness and availability of the care team are critical factors.
At a Glance
Caregiver Satisfaction
CAHPS Hospice Survey results from bereaved family caregivers
Average
CMS CAHPS Hospice Star Rating
Ascend Hospice has received a 3-star quality rating from CMS, based on the CAHPS Hospice Survey. This average rating reflects caregiver satisfaction across communication, symptom management, timely care, and emotional support. CMS publishes these ratings to help families in Cranford, NJ compare hospice providers.
Emotional & Spiritual Support
How well the hospice team provided emotional and spiritual support
90% of caregivers gave a top rating for emotional & spiritual support, consistent with the national average of 90%.
Treated with Respect
Whether the patient was treated with dignity and respect
87% of caregivers gave a top rating for treated with respect, below the national average of 90%.
Help with Symptoms
How well the hospice team managed pain and other symptoms
69% of caregivers gave a top rating for help with symptoms, below the national average of 74%.
Team Communication
How well the hospice team communicated with the family
78% of caregivers gave a top rating for team communication, below the national average of 81%.
Getting Timely Care
Whether the patient received help as soon as it was needed
72% of caregivers gave a top rating for getting timely care, below the national average of 77%.
Training for Family Caregivers
Whether sufficient training was provided to care for the patient
71% of caregivers gave a top rating for training for family caregivers, below the national average of 75%.
Overall Rating (9-10)
Percentage of caregivers rating the hospice 9 or 10 out of 10
77% of caregivers gave a top rating for overall rating (9-10), below the national average of 81%.
Would Recommend
Percentage of caregivers who would definitely recommend this hospice
79% of caregivers gave a top rating for would recommend, below the national average of 84%.
Source: CMS CAHPS Hospice Survey · Vertical markers indicate national average
Quality Process Measures
CMS hospice care quality indicators vs. national benchmarks
Treatment Preferences Documented
Patients whose treatment preferences were discussed and documented
100.0%
Natl: 99.5%
Beliefs & Values Addressed
Patients whose beliefs and values were addressed in the plan of care
99.4%
Natl: 98.3%
Pain Screening
Patients screened for pain upon hospice admission
99.8%
Natl: 98.3%
Comprehensive Pain Assessment
Patients with pain who received a comprehensive pain assessment
100.0%
Natl: 94.8%
Dyspnea Screening
Patients screened for shortness of breath upon admission
99.4%
Natl: 99.0%
Dyspnea Treatment
Patients with dyspnea who received treatment within 24 hours
97.5%
Natl: 97.4%
Opioid Bowel Regimen
Patients on opioids who were offered a bowel regimen
99.2%
Natl: 93.2%
Composite Process Score
Composite measure of all hospice care process quality measures
97.8%
Natl: 91.6%
Hospice Care Index
Composite quality score with 10 sub-measures
Overall HCI Score
National average: 8.8/10
Ascend Hospice's Hospice Care Index (HCI) score is 10 out of 10, above the national average of 8.8. This composite score reflects stronger-than-average performance across measures of nursing continuity, care transitions, and presence near death.
56.4% of Ascend Hospice's patients received visits from the hospice team in their final days of life, significantly above the national average of 47.9%. This is one of the most meaningful quality indicators — having the hospice team present during the final hours provides critical comfort to both patients and families.
Visits Near Death
Patients with visits in last 3 days of life
82.3%
Natl: 89.5%
Nurse Care Minutes
Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day
11.9
Natl: 13.4
Weekend Nursing
Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends
5.8%
Natl: 9.2%
Gaps in Nursing Visits
Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits
77.6%
Natl: 55.4%
Early Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive within 3 days
10.1%
Natl: 7.2%
Late Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive after enrollment
47.6%
Natl: 40%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 1)
Hospice-to-acute-care transitions near death
11.5%
Natl: 8%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 2)
Acute care admissions near death
2.4%
Natl: 2.3%
CHC/GIP Days
Continuous home care & general inpatient days as share of total
0%
Natl: 0.6%
Per-Beneficiary Spending
Average Medicare spending per hospice beneficiary
$22,531
Natl: $16,971
Patient Population
Primary diagnoses of hospice patients
Ascend Hospice's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with dementia (59%), followed by other conditions (16%), cancer (15%), cardiovascular disease (5%), respiratory disease (4%), stroke (3%). Dementia care requires specialized communication techniques and behavioral support, which experienced hospice teams are trained to provide.
Care Settings
Where hospice care is delivered
Ascend Hospice delivers 21% of its care in patients' homes, with 45% in assisted living settings, 33% in skilled nursing settings. The significant proportion of facility-based care may reflect patients requiring higher levels of medical support or those without available home caregivers. The hospice serves an average of 286 patients per day.
Assisted Living
Skilled Nursing
Patient's Home
Doctors at Ascend Hospice
20 affiliated physicians
Dr. Joshua Shua Haim, MD
Geriatric Medicine
Dr. Blair Beltzer, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Kasing Ho, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Santhosh Chakilam, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Vasantha Perkari, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Lisa Dructor, DO
Internal Medicine
Dr. Steven Wang, MD
Dermatology
Dr. Rajendrakumar Patel, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Carolyn Cavuto Wilson, DO
Internal Medicine
Dr. Vibu Varghese, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Donald Huston, DO
Internal Medicine
Dr. Jumana Chalabi, MD
Internal Medicine
+ 8 more physicians
Dr. Ira Monka, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Ayesha Chaudhary, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Omar Awan, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Punit Jariwala, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Audrey Compton, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Akshay Patel, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Selma Akyar, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Harvey Gross, MD
Family Practice
Patient Reviews
Reviews and ratings from patients
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Ascend Hospice
What is the CMS rating for Ascend Hospice?
Ascend Hospice has a 3-star quality rating from CMS based on the CAHPS Hospice Survey of bereaved family caregivers, which evaluates satisfaction across areas including symptom management, communication, and emotional support.
What conditions does Ascend Hospice primarily treat?
Ascend Hospice's patient population includes dementia (59%), other conditions (16%), cancer (15%), cardiovascular disease (5%), respiratory disease (4%), stroke (3%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.
Where does Ascend Hospice provide care?
Ascend Hospice provides care in assisted living (45%), skilled nursing (33%), patient's home (21%).
How large is Ascend Hospice?
Ascend Hospice serves an average of 286 patients per day and covers 332 ZIP codes in its service area.
How many doctors are affiliated with Ascend Hospice?
20 physicians are affiliated with Ascend Hospice.
Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·