Managing Your Condition/Living with Lymphoma

Hospice Care at Home: What To Expect

Medically reviewed by Angelica Balingit, M.D.

Written by Sherri Gordon, CLC

Posted on November 12, 2026

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Key Takeaways

Home hospice care allows people nearing the end of life to receive comfort-focused support in a familiar setting, surrounded by the people they love.
Home hospice services typically include visits from nurses and aides, along with supplies and medications to help manage pain and boost comfort, but families and caregivers are expected to provide round-the-clock care. Respite care options are available to give caregivers a much-needed break, and hospice teams are there to guide families every step of the way.
If you are considering home hospice care for a loved one, talking openly with family members about everyone's needs, limitations, and concerns can help you make a decision together, and a social worker on the care team can help you explore all of your options.

View all takeaways

When most people hear the words home hospice care, they’re likely hit with a wave of sadness, uncertainty, and possibly even fear — especially if they don’t know what to expect. But home hospice services can provide you or your loved one with comfort and dignity in a familiar setting, surrounded by family.

Learning what to expect can help you utilize the services that hospice care provides and have the right expectations. With home hospice care, family and caregivers provide 24-hour care, but they don’t have to carry the weight of caregiving and loss alone.

We’ll discuss what to expect with home hospice care, including what care is provided and the role family or caregivers play. We’ll also cover how to prepare your home and how to make the decision of hospice care together.

🗳️ If you needed hospice care in the last six months of life, do you think you would prefer:

Hospice care at home

Inpatient hospice care at a facility

An alternative option

What Care Do Home Hospice Services Provide?

While each hospice provider is different, home hospice organizations generally provide services to support your loved one’s end-of-life goals and assist you with caregiving. This may include visits from home health aides and nurses as well as supplies, equipment, and medications.

It’s important to know that families and caregivers are expected to provide 24-hour care. Home hospice services aren’t meant to replace that.

Once your loved one’s care plan is agreed upon, the hospice team will share which tools and medications the organization will provide. The goals are to reduce pain, boost comfort, and support caregiving.

Here’s a general overview of what care and supplies home hospice organizations provide and what family and caregivers are expected to provide.

What Home Hospice Provides vs. What’s Not Provided
Supplies and Care	What Hospice Provides	What’s Not Provided
Equipment and Supplies	Hospital bed Bedside commode Hoyer lift Assistive devices like a walker Catheter Briefs, pads, hygiene products, etc.	Life-saving devices Bed sheets Nightgowns Trash cans Disposable under pads, etc.
Medications	Palliative medications for pain, anxiety, secretions, and nausea	Life-saving or curative medications
Routine Care	Aides to help with bathing and care (several times a week) Nurse to monitor medical condition	24-hour care, seven days a week
As-Needed Care and Support	Social workers Chaplains Volunteers (Available with many providers, specifics may vary)	Daily care Managing the household Administration of daily medications Grocery shopping Cleaning and changing, etc.

Who’s Eligible for Home Hospice Care?

Home hospice care includes comfort-based care and support for people nearing the end of their lives. Typically, those with about six months or less of life remaining are considered eligible for hospice care. Hospice care can be extended by the physician as long as the person continues to be eligible.

What Caregivers Provide During Home Hospice Care

Home hospice care can be provided at your residence or the home of a family member. In general, home hospice requires someone to be with the person receiving care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Usually, this is the primary caregiver, but it can be helpful if you have a friend or family member who’s able to help out as well. Dividing up tasks or care keeps everyone from burning out or getting overwhelmed.

Once hospice care begins, the primary caregiver keeps track of symptoms, helps with medications, and lets the hospice team know when supplies and medications are running low. They also provide daily care, including personal hygiene and meals.

The hospice care team will also let the caregiver know how to handle emergencies. Typically, this means calling the 24-hour nurse line rather than calling 911 or going to the emergency department.

It’s important to note that going to the hospital first could put your hospice benefits in jeopardy.

Take Advantage of Respite Care

It can be challenging to provide the 24-hour care families need to provide during home hospice. Taking advantage of respite care can help you better cope. There are two different types of respite care.

Medicare covers respite care when someone’s receiving hospice care. The person or the family can opt to receive hospice care in an approved inpatient facility for five consecutive days. This allows the caregivers to rest and take care of themselves.

The other type of respite care is available if you’re paying out-of-pocket, through private long-term care insurance, or through funds from a caregiver grant program. A home health aide can visit for a few hours to give you time to run errands, catch up on sleep, or take care of yourself.

How To Prepare Your Home for Hospice Care

It’s normal to worry about safety and care when you or your loved one is being tended to at home.

Here are some steps you can take:

Choose a room on the main floor with access to the kitchen and a bathroom.

Request a hospital bed that can be raised and lowered.

Remove trip and fall hazards like cords, throw rugs, and personal items.

Increase lighting and use nightlights to improve vision at night.

Ensure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working.

Keep a fire extinguisher nearby, especially if your loved one uses oxygen.

Secure any firearms that are in the home.

Consider using baby monitors, security cameras, or a bell when you’re in another room.

Also, make sure you have the right mindset when it comes to hospice care. Too often, people assume that hospice is about dying. Hospice care is actually about living comfortably. In fact, researchers have found that hospice care sometimes leads to better symptom control and fewer emergency room visits.

Hospice care’s goal is to improve your loved one’s quality of life and boost their comfort — all in a space where they feel safe and loved. It also gives families meaningful time together before the final days arrive.

What Happens When Your Loved One Dies at Home

If your loved one passes away while receiving home hospice care, know that you don’t need to rush. You also don’t need to call 911. Instead, allow yourself some space to hold your loved one’s hand, grieve, and process their death before jumping into action.

When you’re ready, call your hospice provider’s 24-hour line and let them know your loved one has passed away. They will send someone out to help you take the next steps or let you know what to do until they can get there.

Here are some ways they may support you:

Dispose of all your loved one’s medications (a federal requirement) according to hospice policy and state law

Help you contact the funeral home

Prepare your loved one’s body for transportation to the funeral home

Assist you with calling family and friends if you need it

Arrange for pickup and removal of any equipment they provided

Making Decisions About Home Hospice Care Together

When it comes to deciding whether or not home hospice care is right for your family, you need to consider your loved one’s wants and needs first. Do they envision spending the last months of their lives being cared for at home?

Keep in mind, too, that transitioning to hospice care, whether at home or an inpatient facility, means stopping treatment of the terminal condition in favor of comfort, pain management, and quality of life.

The key is to support their wishes and plan as much as possible. If your loved one is ready for hospice care, consider what resources you have available to support their care at home. Be honest about your limitations and communicate respectfully and lovingly with one another.

Also allow room for everyone to ask questions or express their concerns. And, remember that everyone’s likely in a different place mentally and emotionally regarding hospice care.

Read more about deciding when it’s time for hospice.

Be Realistic About What You Can Provide

Most likely, your loved one will need round-the-clock care. Ask yourselves if you have the ability to do that. Some families have one or two people who are able to take on the bulk of the responsibility, with others lending support where they can.

Other families might all work full time, have small children, or live out of town. In these situations, it might be helpful to hire someone to help with care when a family member can’t be there. You can also consider inpatient hospice or another avenue.

A social worker with your loved one’s care team can assist you in making a decision that’s best for the entire family. The goal is to keep your loved one’s wishes at the forefront and make it possible for family members to provide comfort and care.

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