Serving counties of San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara Alameda and Contra Costa
Our hospice team focuses on symptom relief and promoting the highest possible quality of life. Family and friends also play an essential part in their loved one’s care.
The information below is available anytime, to build your confidence and help you know what to expect.
Patient Admission
01. Does hospice provide 24-hour, around-the-clock care?
No. Hospice Care is provided through scheduled visits from members of the Hospice Care Team, with a nurse available by phone 24/7.
02. Is hospice a place? Where do you provide your care?
Hospice Care is provided during regular visits wherever the patient calls home — in a family home, nursing or residential care facility, or in the hospital.
03. Is hospice only for the sick family member?
No. Our Hospice Care team helps all family members and caregivers cope emotionally during this difficult time, while providing the education they may need to best care for the patient.
04. Isn’t hospice only for the last few days of life?
No. Patients may receive care once their physician and the hospice physician determine that their illness is terminal, with an estimated life expectancy of six months or less. Medicare allows hospice to provide care for terminally ill patients, as long as certain medical eligibility criteria continue to be met, and the patient still wishes to receive hospice care.
05. Can I keep my own doctor on hospice?
Yes. Alameda Care Hospice works with a large base of referring physicians so that patients can keep their own doctors even after admission to Hospice Care.
06. Doesn’t hospice mean giving up hope?
No. Hospice focuses on maximizing quality of life, based on an individual’s choices, so that the person may live life as fully as possible, for as long as possible.
07. Does the patient have to have a DNR in place to receive hospice care?
No. While the DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order can be a useful tool for some, it’s not a required document for admission to Hospice Care.
