Hospice Information for Patients and Families

Hospice is a federal benefit for patients who have a terminal diagnosis with a prognosis of less than 6 months, who chose to stop healing treatments. The aim of hospice care is to provide comfort and ensure that patients have dignity, peace of mind, and a good quality of life.

What services come with Hospice?

A team of specialists offer patients holistic support, which treats the whole person, rather than focusing on single symptoms or body parts. Hospice provides for each patient's unique needs, nurturing their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.

Care may include:

  • Around-the-clock, daily access to nursing staff
  • Periodic visits by a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN)
  • Personal care assistance by a certified home health aide (HHA)
  • Care oversight by a hospice medical director
  • Support from a social worker for emotional and practical issues
  • Spiritual and faith-based support
  • Medical equipment and medications
  • Assistance, support, and companionship from trained volunteers
  • Grief support and counseling

Where is Hospice Provided?

  • In the patient's or caregiver's home
  • Hospitals
  • Nursing homes
  • Assisted living facilities
  • Hospice residences

Who Pays for Hospice?

  • Medicare, through the Medicare hospice benefit
  • Medicaid
  • Most commercial health insurance
  • Because most hospices are non-profit, gifts and donations often help pay for programs, projects, and care

Who Qualifies for Hospice Services?

People who have:

  • Two or more emergency department visits and/or hospital admissions in the past 6 months
  • Steady decrease in ability to function
  • Unplanned weight loss of more than 10% over the past 6 months
  • Worsening or recurring swelling of body parts
  • Chest pain associated with shortness of breath
  • Difficulty swallowing, or choking while swallowing, due to a stroke or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
  • Irregular heartbeats that don't get better after treatment
  • Dementia with inability to communicate and walk
  • Uncontrollable pain, nausea, shortness of breath
  • Desire to stop uncomfortable or ineffective treatments
  • Desire to focus on comfort and quality of life
  • Physician confirmation of a life expectancy of fewer than six months

How Can a Patient Get Hospice Care?

  • Referrals to hospice can be made by anyone familiar with the patient. This includes the patient themselves—as well as their family members, friends, health care providers, and social service agencies.
  • If you are the patient, you need a health care provider or nurse practitioner to follow you while receiving hospice care. This often means that you can keep your health care provider.

Find a Hospice Provider Near You

To locate a licensed hospice provider in your area, please visit our Directory of Hospices or visit NYS Health Profiles for further information about Hospice care in New York State.

Additional Information

For Information about filing a complaint about a Hospice, please visit:

For additional information about Long Term Care, please visit:

For information about Medicare and Medicaid, please visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website:

If you need more information about Hospice Care, please contact the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care at (518) 457-1568 or CHPC@health.ny.gov