Hospice Care

Hospice care is for patients with advanced illness for whom curative treatments are no longer effective, and who likely have just a few months left to live. By focusing on physical, emotional, and spiritual support, hospice care helps maximize quality of life during the patient’s final days, and includes bereavement support for families and loved ones.

• Hospice care can be provided at home, in a nursing home, or in some residential care facilities
• The care team includes a physician, nurse, home health aide, social worker, spiritual support counselor, and trained volunteer
• The patient’s primary physician is also invited to be a part of the hospice care team
• Team members make scheduled visits, and a nurse is on call 24 hours a day to answer questions or see the patient as needed
• Patients can discontinue hospice care under the following conditions:
  • If they no longer wish to receive hospice care. (If their illness stabilizes and they no longer meet the criteria for hospice care. If circumstances change, a patient can be readmitted to hospice care.)
• Hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medi-Cal, and most private insurance through a hospice benefit

You can view a list of hospice care options for ongoing care, along with the facility's overall star rating, here. Each facility's overall star rating is based on performance in 3 categories: health inspections, staffing, and quality of resident care measures. We recommend thoroughly researching each facility before making your selection. Please contact your primary care provider for a referral or contact hospices directly for more info.