We help families understand hospice eligibility, comfort-focused care, and next steps.
What is Hospice Care?
Hospice care focuses on care, comfort, and quality of life for a person with a serious illness who is approaching the end of life. Hospice may be considered when an illness is no longer responding to attempts to cure it or slow its progression, or when a patient chooses not to pursue certain curative treatments.
Hospice provides comprehensive comfort care and family support. Eligibility generally involves a terminal illness for which a physician believes the person has six months or less to live if the illness follows its natural course.
What to Expect
A referral can be initiated with the patient’s doctor. A hospice representative can arrange a meeting with the patient and family. The patient remains at the center of care, with goals focused on personal preferences, dignity, comfort, and what is meaningful to the patient and loved ones.
Discussing hospice options with a physician early can help patients and families understand available support and make use of meaningful care and quality time together.
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with serious illness. It focuses on symptoms and quality of life for the patient and family and may be provided alongside treatment intended to address the underlying illness.
Family Support
Hospice recognizes that psychological, spiritual, social, and medical or clinical services can all contribute to quality of life. The interdisciplinary team works according to the choices and decisions of the patient.
Who May Pay for Hospice or Palliative Care Services?
- Medicare Hospice Benefit
- Veterans Health Administration
- Medi-Cal or Medicaid Hospice Benefit
- Private or managed-care insurance
- Self-pay or charitable organizations