Episode Details

Hearing a doctor say, “We’re recommending hospice,” can stop you in your tracks.

Your first thought may be, “Does this mean Mom is dying?”
And then the next wave of questions hits.

Where will hospice happen?
Can hospice happen at home?
Can hospice happen in assisted living or a nursing home?
What if my parent is already in the hospital?
Does hospice cover everything?
What about room and board?
And how do we choose a hospice company when our family is already overwhelmed?

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In this episode of Navigating Elderly Parents, we’re talking about where hospice care can happen and why the location matters. Hospice is not just a place. Hospice is a type of care focused on comfort, dignity, symptom management, emotional support, spiritual care, and helping your loved one receive the right support during the end-of-life process.

We’ll also touch on the difference between hospice and palliative care. Palliative care can support someone with a serious or long-term illness even before they qualify for hospice. Hospice care is typically recommended when a doctor believes someone may have six months or less to live if the illness follows its expected course.

This episode is not meant to add to your overwhelm. It is meant to help you know what to look for before you are standing in a hospital hallway, exhausted, emotional, and trying to make decisions fast.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• A simple hospice definition and why hospice is care, not just a location
• How palliative care is different from hospice care
• Where hospice can happen: home, assisted living, nursing home, inpatient hospice facility, or sometimes temporarily in the hospital
• Why hospice at home can be beautiful, but also physically and emotionally exhausting
• What to ask if your parent already lives in assisted living or a nursing home
• Why hospice may cover the medical care, but not always the room and board
• What an inpatient hospice facility or hospice house may provide
• Why location matters when choosing a hospice company
• What it can mean when a hospital patient is discharged from hospital care and hospice takes over
• Why a hospital bed may become a contracted hospice bed
• Questions families should ask before choosing a hospice provider
• Why you are not being difficult when you ask the same question more than once

This is one of those topics families often do not talk about until they are forced to.

But friend, if you are the one helping your aging parent, you need at least a basic understanding of hospice care options before a crisis happens.

Because when hospice is recommended, the decision is not only, “Do we accept hospice?”

The next question is often:

“Where will hospice happen, and what does that mean for our family?”

Look Up Your State Hospice and Palliative Care Association
Most states have a hospice and palliative care association with education, resources, and local guidance for families. This is a good place to learn more about hospice care, palliative care, rules in your state, and support options near you.

Ask These Questions Before Choosing a Hospice Company

• Where can hospice happen in our s