Delaware Hospice

What it reported doing in 2024

Delaware hospice, founded in 1982, is Delaware's nonprofit hospice care provider, dedicated to supporting individuals, families, and communities with compassionate, expert care for serious illness. The organization serves new castle, kent, and sussex counties in Delaware, as well as southern chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania. Its mission is carried out by 316 staff members and 301 volunteers who deliver high-quality clinical, emotional, and spiritual support across all programs and care settings. Delaware hospice provides serious illness management across all of its programs.continued on schedule o.Delaware hospice provides all the elements of a hospice program (i.e., nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers, grief counselors, chaplains, and volunteers) to individuals of any age.- pediatric support is provided through our katybug program. Katybug is the only pediatric hospice and palliative care program in Delaware, created specifically to support infants, children, teens, and their families during complex and life-limiting illnesses. - Delaware hospice operates the Delaware hospice center in milford, Delaware, which provides 24/7 specialized inpatient care and symptom management. The organization also operated an inpatient hospice unit at saint francis hospital in wilmington through january 2025. Both facilities provided inpatient hospice care, respite services, and a range of supports for patients and families. Delaware palliative supports seriously ill patients who continue to receive curative treatment for conditions such as cancer, congestive heart failure, parkinson's disease, alzheimer's disease, and kidney failure. The palliative teamcomprising a medical director, nurse practitioners, a social worker, and volunteersoffers symptom management, facilitates goals of care discussions, and assists with advance health care directives. Telehealth options remain available for families who prefer virtual visits. Delaware hospice also gives back to the community through programs supported by generous donor contributions:1. Provider services delivers education to professional and community organizations through virtual and in-person presentations. Topics include end-of-life care planning, living well with serious illness, supporting caregivers, and navigating life-limiting conditions. 2. New hope, the organization's long-standing children's bereavement program, supports grieving children through individualized sessions, group programs, workshops, and a multi-day statewide summer camp (camp new hope). New hope coordinators also provide consultation to schools, community groups, and agencies. Services are available both to families receiving hospice care and to the broader community. 3. The family support center, established in 2008, offers programs to support caregivers and individuals coping with illness or loss. More than 100 annual workshops, programs, and social events are offered statewide, both virtually and in person. In fy 2025, Delaware hospice provided 106,503 hospice patient days and maintained an average daily census of 292. Delaware palliative served 621 patients, and the dementia care program served an additional 155 individuals. Altogether, Delaware hospice reached more than 7,700 people across all programs and services during the year.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 84.2%; rating input score 84
• Program expense ratio: 78.8%; rating input score 79
• Fundraising efficiency: $7.87 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -3.6%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.2; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.2; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 12.5%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -4% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -1.7% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings