How to start hospice: three steps

How do you start hospice?

Three steps, and the first one is a phone call. Nothing is decided on the call.

1. Step 1

   Call, at any hour

   A hospice nurse answers (877) 258-7129 day and night. The nurse asks who the person is, where they live, what the illness is, how they have been doing this week and who their doctor is. You do not have to know everything, and you do not have to decide anything on the call.

2. Step 2

   The evaluation visit

   A hospice nurse visits where the person lives and explains what hospice would do for this person. The nurse checks eligibility with the hospice doctor and the person's own doctor: a life expectancy of six months or less if the illness runs its usual course. You may say no, or wait, and nothing changes in the person's care.

3. Step 3

   Admission

   If the person chooses hospice, they or their representative sign the consents and the election statement. Equipment and comfort medicines are delivered, the plan of care is written with you, and the first visits are scheduled. What the first days look like is on what happens when hospice starts.

How quickly can hospice be set up?

For a person at home, Beta aims to admit within 24 hours of the call. A person leaving the hospital is admitted on the day of discharge unless other arrangements have been requested. The hospice asks the doctor for the order and the records; you do not have to.

The usual delays are reaching the certifying doctor and giving the family time to be ready. Calling early, even to ask questions, is what shortens the wait.

Who can call hospice?

Anyone: the person, a family member, a friend, a nurse, a social worker, a discharge planner, a facility, or the person's doctor. A doctor certifies eligibility and the person or their representative decides; the call itself can come from anyone.

What if the person is in the hospital or a nursing home?

Ask the discharge planner or the social worker to call us, or call us yourself. Hospice can start in the facility and continue at home, or continue in the facility. For hospital and skilled-nursing teams: discharge planners and skilled nursing facilities.

Do you need Medicare to start?

No. Medicare, Medi-Cal and most private plans cover hospice, and we check coverage before care starts. If there is no coverage at all, call anyway: many people with a terminal illness and limited income can get Medi-Cal, and our social worker can help start an application. Read does Medicare cover hospice and Medi-Cal and hospice.

Can you start hospice and change your mind?

Yes. You can stop hospice at any time with a signed revocation and return to your usual coverage, and you can elect hospice again later if you still qualify. Read can you leave hospice.

Common questions about starting hospice

Related guides

Is it time for hospice?, what happens when hospice starts: the first week and what hospice provides.