HOSPICE DEPOSITION PREP PACKET
Targeted, clinically grounded deposition questions for hospice nurses, physicians, social workers, aides, administrators, and interdisciplinary team members.
This deposition prep packet provides structured question sets designed to uncover deviations from hospice standards of care, expose communication failures, and clarify the responsibilities of each staff member involved in end‑of‑life care.
Use these questions to prepare for depositions of hospice nurses, physicians, social workers, aides, chaplains, and administrators.
HOSPICE NURSE DEPOSITION QUESTIONS
Role & Responsibilities
• Describe your responsibilities for this patient.
• How many patients were assigned to you?
• What is the typical caseload for hospice nurses in your agency?
• What training have you received regarding symptom management and end‑of‑life care?
Assessment & Monitoring
• What assessments were performed at admission?
• How often were visits required for this patient?
• Were any visits missed or delayed?
• Did you notice any changes in condition before the escalation event?
Communication
• When did you notify the provider of symptom changes?
• What information did you communicate?
• How did you update the family?
• Were there any delays in communication?
Symptom Management
• How did you assess pain, dyspnea, agitation, or anxiety?
• What interventions were performed?
• Were medications titrated appropriately?
• Were symptoms reassessed after interventions?
Documentation
• Did you document assessments and interventions in real time?
• Are there any gaps or late entries?
• Is there documentation of family education?
HOSPICE PHYSICIAN / MEDICAL DIRECTOR QUESTIONS
Evaluation & Oversight
• What was your involvement in this patient’s care?
• How often did you review the plan of care?
• Did you evaluate the patient directly?
Symptom‑Management Decisions
• How were medications selected and titrated?
• Were adjustments made promptly when symptoms worsened?
• Did you provide guidance to nursing staff
Communication
• How did you communicate with nurses and the family?
• Were you notified of symptom escalation?
• What actions did you take?
Goals of Care
• Were goals of care clearly documented?
• Were they reviewed or updated as the condition changed?
SOCIAL WORKER DEPOSITION QUESTIONS
Role & Responsibilities
• What was your involvement with this patient and family?
• How often did you visit or communicate with them?
Family Support & Communication
• Did the family express concerns about symptoms or care?
• Did you communicate these concerns to nursing or the physician?
• Did you provide anticipatory guidance?
Documentation
• Are there notes documenting emotional, social, or logistical concerns?
• Were any concerns escalated to the IDT?
HOSPICE AIDE DEPOSITION QUESTIONS
Role & Responsibilities
• What care did you provide (bathing, repositioning, comfort measures)?
• How often were you scheduled to visit?
Observations
• Did you notice any signs of pain, distress, or decline?
• Did you report these observations to the nurse?
Documentation
• Did you document your visits and observations?
• Are there any gaps?
CHAPLAIN / SPIRITUAL CARE QUESTIONS
Role & Responsibilities
• What support did you provide to the patient and family?
• How often did you visit?
Communication
• Did the family express concerns about care or symptoms?
• Did you communicate these concerns to the team?
ADMINISTRATOR / DIRECTOR OF NURSING QUESTIONS
Policies & Procedures
• What policies applied to this patient’s care?
• Were those policies followed?
• How is staff trained on symptom management and end‑of‑life care
Staffing & Visit Frequency
• What were staffing levels during the relevant period?
• Were there any shortages or missed visits?
Incident Review
• Was an internal investigation conducted?
• Were any corrective actions implemented?
• Were there prior similar incidents?
THEMES TO ESTABLISH BREACH
Use these question sets to uncover:
• Delayed symptom management
• Uncontrolled pain or dyspnea
• Delayed medication titration
• Poor communication with family
• Inadequate monitoring
• Insufficient visit frequency
• Failure to align care with goals
• Documentation gaps or contradictions
• Failure to recognize active decline
• Lack of anticipatory guidance
These themes help build a clear breach narrative.