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Answers to the questions families ask
Short, plain-language answers about hospice, Medicare, and the final days, about two minutes each. Each one starts with a short answer, then explains.
General education, not medical advice. Every person and situation is different. Your hospice team, doctor, or nurse can answer for yours. In an emergency, call your hospice's 24-hour number or 911.
4 questions
Getting started
What hospice is, what it isn't, and how it works day to day.
What is hospice, and what does it actually provide?Hospice is care for someone whose illness can no longer be cured and whose doctor expects about six months or less if the illness runs its usual course.Read the answer →Can you leave hospice and come back?Yes. Your loved one can stop hospice at any time, for example to try treatment aimed at a cure, and their regular Medicare coverage starts again.Read the answer →Hospice vs palliative care: what's the difference?Both focus on comfort and quality of life. Palliative care can start at any stage of a serious illness, even at diagnosis, alongside treatment meant to cure it.Read the answer →Does hospice provide 24-hour care at home?Usually not. Hospice team members visit on a schedule and a nurse is on call by phone 24 hours a day, but family or hired caregivers provide most of the day-to-day care.Read the answer →
5 questions
Medicare & choosing
What Medicare pays for, how long hospice lasts, and how to pick a provider.
Does Medicare cover hospice? What's covered and what isn'tYes. If your loved one has Medicare Part A and qualifies, Medicare covers hospice care for the terminal illness and related conditions, and you pay nothing for the hospice care itself.Read the answer →Can you stay on hospice longer than six months?Yes. The six-month rule is about who qualifies, not a deadline. If your loved one lives longer than six months, Medicare keeps covering hospice as long as a hospice doctor recertifies that they are still terminally ill.Read the answer →How to choose a hospice: questions to ask before you signEvery Medicare-certified hospice follows the same basic rules, but they don't all run the same way.Read the answer →What happens in the first 72 hours of hospice?After a referral, a hospice nurse visits to explain the services, go over the consent forms, and assess your loved one.Read the answer →Hospice for dementia: when is it time, and how long can they stay?People with dementia often qualify for hospice in the late stage, when they need help with nearly everything, speak only a few words, and have problems like weight loss, serious infections, or trouble eating.Read the answer →
7 questions
The final days
What to expect near the end, and how to keep your person comfortable.
What is the "rally" before death, and how long does it last?Some people have a sudden burst of clarity, energy, or appetite shortly before they die.Read the answer →Why do dying people stop eating and drinking? Is it starving them?Near the end of life, the body slowly loses its need for food and fluids, so hunger and thirst usually fade.Read the answer →What are the signs that death is near?As death gets closer, people usually sleep more, eat and drink less, and pull inward.Read the answer →Does morphine in hospice speed up death?When morphine is used the way hospice teams prescribe it, with doses adjusted to the person's symptoms, it eases pain and the feeling of not getting enough air.Read the answer →Why do dying people see or talk to loved ones who have died?Many people near the end of life describe seeing or talking with people who have already died, often a parent or spouse.Read the answer →Why do people sometimes die when family steps out of the room?Many families find that their loved one died in the few minutes they stepped away.Read the answer →Is it a rally, or are they getting better?A rally is usually brief and comes after a steady decline, often alongside other signs that the end is near.Read the answer →
2 questions
After a death
What to do first, and the feelings that come after.
Who do you call when someone dies at home on hospice?Call your hospice's 24-hour number, not 911. A hospice nurse will come to confirm the death, help with the next steps, and contact the funeral home when you're ready.Read the answer →Is it normal to feel relief when someone dies?Yes. After a long illness and months or years of caregiving, many people feel relief alongside their grief.Read the answer →
Not sure where to start?
The free Hospice Decision Checklist lists the questions to ask before you sign, and what to confirm in the first 72 hours.