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Hospice Care for families

When the goal becomes comfort, we are here for your whole family — wherever you call home

Hospice care from Compassus brings expert medical support, emotional care and peace of mind to wherever your loved one feels most at home. Our Care Delivery Model brings standardized clinical excellence into a personalized plan and Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance plans cover the hospice benefit.

Speak with a Compassus team member 24/7 — call

Why Families Choose Compassus

Proof Point 

Why It Matters 

Care for who I am 

Every plan of care is built around your loved one as a whole person, not just a diagnosis. 

24 hours a day, 7 days a week 

When something changes overnight, a Compassus nurse is on the line. 

2-hour rapid response 

Our standard goal for new referrals and symptom escalations is a 2-hour response. 

Visits 2 to 3 times per week 

RN and hospice aide visits 2 to 3 times per week when consistent with the plan of care. 

Comfort kits in the home 

Compassus clinicians bring symptom-relief tools so we can act fast when discomfort starts. 

13 months of bereavement support 

Grief does not follow a schedule and neither does our support for your family. 

You should not have to figure this out alone

If you are reading this, you are likely carrying a heavy weight. You are watching someone you love grow more fragile, fielding doctor calls, wondering what is next and quietly asking yourself: Are we doing enough? Are we doing the right thing? 

You do not have to have the answers. That is what we are here for. 

At Compassus, we walk alongside families like yours every day. We act as an extension of your family’s care, bringing experienced clinical support, honest guidance and steady presence so your loved one can be comfortable and you can be present. 

Care for who I am

At Compassus, our approach is built around a simple promise: Care for who I am. Every plan of care is shaped around your loved one as a whole person, not just a diagnosis. That means understanding what brings them peace, what feels like home, who they want around them and what matters most in this season of life.

This personalized approach is brought to life by our Care Delivery Model, which combines a standardized clinical playbook with the flexibility to honor what each patient and family needs. We listen first and we adjust as needs change.

What hospice care really is and what it is not

Hospice is often misunderstood, causing many families to wait too long to call and later wish they had reached out sooner. 

Hospice IS

  • Expert medical care focused on comfort, dignity and quality of life. 
  • Care that comes to wherever you call home, whether that is a private home, a loved one’s home, an assisted living community, or a nursing facility. 
  • A team of nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains, bereavement counselors, volunteers and physicians working together around the patient and family. 
  • 24 hours a day, 7 days a week clinical access, with a 2-hour response standard for new referrals and symptom escalations. 
  • Care for the whole family, including grief and bereavement support for 13 months after a loss. 

Hospice IS NOT

  • Giving up. Choosing hospice is choosing how you want this time to feel. 
  • Only for the last few days. Most families say they wish they had started sooner. 
  • A place. It is a service that comes to you. 
  • A cost burden. Hospice is covered 100 percent by Medicare Part A, Medicaid and most private insurance plans, including medications, equipment and supplies related to the hospice diagnosis. 

How to know if it might be time

Hospice care is for individuals living with a serious illness whose physician believes life expectancy may be 6 months or less if the illness follows its natural course. But it is not just about a timeline. It is about what matters most to your loved one now. 

You may want to learn more about hospice if your loved one is: 

  • Experiencing more frequent hospital visits or trips to the ER. 
  • Losing weight unexpectedly, eating or drinking less, or sleeping more. 
  • Needing more help with bathing, dressing, walking, or daily tasks. 
  • Living with a serious diagnosis such as advanced cancer, heart failure, COPD, dementia, kidney or liver disease, ALS, or stroke recovery. 
  • Asking questions about quality of life, comfort, or what comes next. 

Not sure? That is okay. A short, no-pressure conversation with a Compassus team member can help you understand your options. The choice is always yours and your loved one’s. We will not pressure your family or override your doctor. We will give you clear information so you can make the right decision for your family.

What you can expect from Compassus

Care designed around who your loved one is
Every plan of care reflects our Care for who I am philosophy, supported by our Care Delivery Model. We listen, we adapt and we honor the priorities that matter most to your loved one and your family.
2-hour rapid response
Our standard goal is to respond to new referrals and symptom escalations within 2 hours. When time matters most, you should not have to wait.
Specialized clinical pathways
Whether your loved one is living with advanced heart failure, COPD, dementia, cancer or another serious illness, our clinical teams are trained in disease-specific symptom management.
Support for family caregivers
Short-term inpatient respite care gives caregivers an opportunity to rest and recover. Our social workers, chaplains and volunteers also offer ongoing support throughout the hospice journey.
Honoring those who served
As a partner in the We Honor Veterans program, Compassus provides tailored support for veterans and their families, including recognition and military-informed end-of-life care
Support that does not end
Our bereavement counselors and memorial service support stay with your family for 13 months after a loss, because grief does not follow a schedule.
A complete care team available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Your loved one’s team includes a hospice physician, registered nurse case manager, hospice aide, medical social worker, chaplain, bereavement counselor and trained volunteers, all coordinating around what your family needs. RN and aide visits are typically scheduled 2 to 3 times per week when consistent with the plan of care, with more frequent visits available as needs change. When something changes at 2 a.m., you reach a Compassus clinician who knows your loved one’s care plan. Many situations can be managed right there over the phone, so your loved one does not have to leave home.

Common questions families ask

Will my loved one have to stop seeing their doctor?

No. Their attending physician can stay involved and work alongside our hospice medical director. 

Hospice focuses on treatments that bring comfort and quality of life. Curative treatments for the terminal illness are paused, but treatments for unrelated conditions can continue. 

Yes. Patients can revoke hospice at any time and return to curative care and they can re-elect hospice later if eligible. 

For most families, $0 out of pocket. Medicare Part A’s hospice benefit covers the team, medications, equipment and supplies related to the hospice diagnosis. Medicaid and most private plans offer similar coverage. 

Often within 24 hours of a referral. Our standard goal is to evaluate new referrals within 2 hours. 

A final word, from one family to another

The decision to begin hospice is one of the most loving things a family can do and one of the hardest. There is no perfect time and there is no perfect way. There is only what feels right for your loved one and your family. 

When you are ready to talk, we are ready to listen. 

Speak with a Compassus team member 24/7 — call

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