Hospice care is provided wherever a patient calls home. Whether that is a private residence, an assisted living community, or a skilled nursing facility, the care team comes to the patient – not the other way around. Understanding how support looks across each setting helps families make informed decisions during one of the most significant transitions of a loved one’s life.

This guide walks through what to expect in each care setting, what stays the same regardless of location, and how to get started when you are ready to take the next step.

What Stays the Same No Matter Where Hospice Is Provided

Before exploring each setting, it helps to understand what does not change. According to the Medicare Hospice Benefit, covered services are consistent regardless of where a patient resides. That means families can expect the same core support whether a loved one is in a private home or a nursing facility.

In every setting, the hospice care team typically includes:

• A registered nurse who manages symptoms, coordinates the care plan, and provides regular visits
• A hospice medical director who oversees and authorizes the plan of care
• Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) who assist with personal care and hygiene
• A social worker who supports practical and emotional needs
• A chaplain or spiritual care coordinator for spiritual and existential support
• Bereavement support for family members, including at least 13 months of grief care after a loved one passes
• Durable medical equipment (DME), such as a hospital bed, wheelchair, or oxygen delivered directly to wherever the patient lives
• Volunteer support for companionship, errands, or caregiver relief

Medications and supplies related to the terminal diagnosis are also covered under the Medicare Hospice Benefit. For a full breakdown, see our guide on hospice medications and equipment: what’s covered and what to expect.

Hospice Care at Home

For many families, receiving hospice care at home is the option that feels most meaningful. It allows patients to remain in familiar surroundings, near family, in a space that reflects who they are.

• What “Home” Means in Hospice. Home hospice care is not limited to single-family houses. It includes apartments, condominiums, mobile homes, and any private residence where the patient lives. The hospice team travels to the patient.
• What Care Looks Like at Home. Nursing visits are scheduled based on the patient’s needs and can be increased as the illness progresses. CNAs typically visit several times per week to assist with bathing, grooming, and personal care. The social worker and chaplain check in regularly, and families always have access to a 24/7 on-call nurse for questions or urgent concerns between scheduled visits. The hospice team also delivers and sets up all necessary equipment. A hospital bed, bedside commode, walker, or oxygen concentrator is brought directly to the home – no separate arrangements needed.
• The Role of Family Caregivers. At home, family members and loved ones play an active role in daily care. The hospice team works closely with family caregivers, providing education on how to manage medications, assist with mobility, and recognize signs of a changing condition. This partnership is at the heart of home hospice. If family caregivers need a break, short-term respite care is available under the Medicare Hospice Benefit, allowing a patient to be temporarily cared for in a Medicare-approved facility while their family rests. For families navigating the emotional weight of caregiving, our family support resources and emotional support services are available throughout the hospice journey.

Hospice Care in an Assisted Living Community

Patients who live in assisted living communities are fully eligible for hospice care. In this setting, two care teams work side by side: the assisted living staff who manage daily residential care, and the hospice team who oversees symptom management and comfort-focused medical support.

• How the Two Teams Work Together. The assisted living facility continues to provide housing, meals, personal care, and social programming. The hospice team layers on top of that with clinical oversight, nursing visits, spiritual support, social work, and bereavement services. This partnership model means patients do not need to relocate when they enroll in hospice. They stay in their room, their community, and among the people they know. Familiarity and stability can be deeply comforting at this stage of life.
• What Families Should Know. It is important to understand that hospice does not replace the services the assisted living community provides – it supplements them. Families pay their usual assisted living costs, and the Medicare Hospice Benefit covers the hospice-specific services on top of that. The hospice social worker often serves as a bridge between the family, the facility staff, and the hospice clinical team, helping coordinate care and communicate changes in condition clearly across all parties.

Hospice Care in a Skilled Nursing Facility

Patients who reside in a skilled nursing facility (SNF), sometimes called a nursing home, are also eligible for hospice care. This setting often involves patients with more complex medical needs who require 24-hour nursing oversight that a home environment cannot safely provide.

• How Hospice Fits into Skilled Nursing Care. Similar to assisted living, hospice in a skilled nursing facility works alongside the existing staff. The SNF provides around-the-clock nursing care, meals, and custodial support. The hospice team adds a layer of specialized comfort care, including more frequent nursing assessments, dedicated pain and symptom management, chaplain visits, and bereavement support for the family. This dual-team structure is intended to fill gaps in comfort-focused care that SNF staff – who manage many patients with varying needs – may not have the bandwidth to provide at the depth hospice does.
• Coordination and Communication. Good coordination matters. When a patient enters hospice in a skilled nursing facility, the hospice team works directly with the facility’s charge nurses and attending physicians to align on the plan of care. At Aspen Grove Hospice, our hospice medical director plays an active role in that communication, ensuring the patient’s comfort plan is understood and followed by everyone involved. For more on how hospice physicians and facility teams collaborate, see our related post: how physicians and hospice teams work together for better patient outcomes.

Can the Setting Change After Hospice Begins?

Yes. Life circumstances change, and hospice is designed to adapt to them.

A patient who starts on home hospice can transition to an assisted living community or skilled nursing facility if their care needs increase or family caregiving capacity changes. Likewise, a patient in a facility may move back home if their condition stabilizes and family support is available.

The four levels of hospice care – Routine Home Care, Continuous Home Care, Inpatient Respite Care, and General Inpatient Care – also reflect that care intensity shifts depending on need. Your hospice team will work with you to make sure the level of care and the setting are always aligned with what your loved one requires.

Choosing the Right Setting: Questions to Ask

There is no single right answer. The best setting depends on your loved one’s medical needs, your family’s capacity, and where your loved one feels most at peace. Here are a few questions that may help guide the conversation:

• What level of daily caregiving support is available at home?
• Does my loved one have a preference about where they receive care?
• Are their current medical needs manageable in a home environment?
• Is there an existing facility relationship that provides comfort and community?
• What does our family need to feel supported through this process?

Your hospice team can walk through these questions with you honestly and without pressure. To learn more about what the enrollment process looks like, visit our starting hospice care page or review our hospice eligibility guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can hospice care be provided in any home, including an apartment or mobile home? Yes. Hospice care is available in any place the patient considers home, including apartments, condominiums, and mobile homes. The hospice team comes to the patient wherever they reside.
• Does moving to hospice mean a patient has to leave their assisted living community? No. Patients can remain in their assisted living community and receive hospice services there. The hospice team works alongside the facility staff to deliver additional comfort-focused care without disrupting the patient’s living situation.
• Will Medicare cover hospice care in a nursing facility? Yes. The Medicare Hospice Benefit covers hospice-specific services in a skilled nursing facility. The facility’s room and board costs are separate and are typically covered under Medicare Part A or Medicaid. A hospice social worker can help clarify what costs apply in your specific situation.
• What if a patient’s condition changes and they need more intensive care? Hospice includes four levels of care that can be adjusted as a patient’s condition changes. If a patient at home experiences a crisis that cannot be managed in the home setting, they may temporarily transition to an inpatient facility for stabilization and then return home once symptoms are controlled.
• Is hospice in a nursing home different from the care the facility provides? The nursing facility provides custodial and residential care. The hospice team provides an additional, dedicated layer of comfort-focused medical and emotional support. Both teams communicate and coordinate to ensure the patient receives well-rounded, consistent care.

Ready to Talk About Where Care Can Begin?

If you are thinking about hospice for yourself or someone you love, our team is here to answer your questions clearly and without pressure. Aspen Grove Hospice provides care at home, in assisted living communities, and in skilled nursing facilities across Aurora, Denver, Arapahoe, Adams, Douglas, Jefferson, Weld, Boulder, Elbert, Broomfield, Larimer, El Paso, and Pueblo counties.

Call us at (720) 999-9854 or speak with our hospice team to learn what care in your setting can look like.