Hospice Information

Hospice is a specialized care focusing on the end-of-life care. It concentrates on managing the patient's pain so the patient can live life comfortably.

Hospice services are provided wherever the patient may live. Patient may live at the comfort of their own home, a Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE), or a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF). 

Hospice accepts patients with different range of life-limiting illness including, but not limited to: 

End stage Heart Disease, End stage Kidney Disease, Lung Disease (COPD), Liver Disease, End stage Neurological Diseases (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, etc.)

 To start the hospice services the hospice typically receives a "referral". The referral process consists of assisting the patient and family in checking the patient's insurance for hospice service coverage. Most of the time the patient and the family are unaware of the insurance coverage. Hospice accepts Medicare, MediCal, and other private insurances. 

The hospice representative typically visits the patient within 48 hours. This includes the explanation of benefits (EOB) and the assessment and evaluation of the eligibility of the patient. If the patient is deemed eligible to receive hospice services, the hospice team with the patient and family will collaborate to create the appropriate care plan for the patient.