🕊️ Understanding the Levels of Hospice Care
Patient & Family Education Handout

Hospice care is specialized support for people with a terminal illness, focusing on comfort, dignity, and quality of life rather than curative treatment. There are four levels of care under the Medicare Hospice Benefit, designed to meet each patient’s needs as they change.

1. Routine Home Care

What it is:
Most common level of hospice care. Services are provided wherever the patient calls home—private residence, nursing home, assisted living, or group home.

What’s included:

Regular visits by hospice nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains, and volunteers. Visits by nurses can be weekly, or more frequent if needed.

Medications for symptom control and pain relief

Medical equipment and supplies (e.g., hospital bed, oxygen)

24/7 on-call support

Who it’s for:
Patients who need symptom management and support but do not require continuous monitoring.

2. Continuous Home Care (CHC)

What it is:
Short-term, intensive nursing care provided at home during a medical crisis.

What’s included:

Continuous care provided for at least 8 hours in a 24-hour period (may be up to 24/7). At least half of this care will be rendered by a nurse.

Focus on controlling acute symptoms (e.g., severe pain, breathing problems, agitation)

Who it’s for:
Patients in crisis who wish to stay at home rather than go to the hospital.

3. Inpatient Respite Care

What it is:
Temporary care in a facility (hospital, hospice house, or nursing home) to give the primary caregiver a break.

What’s included:

Up to 5 consecutive days of care covered at a time

24-hour nursing and supportive care

All hospice services provided during the stay

Who it’s for:
Patients whose caregivers need rest or time off to attend to personal matters.

4. General Inpatient Care (GIP)

What it is:
Short-term care in a hospital or inpatient hospice unit for symptom management that cannot be provided at home.

What’s included:

24-hour nursing and medical care

Medications and therapies to control severe symptoms (e.g., uncontrolled pain, vomiting, seizures, extreme anxiety)

Who it’s for:
Patients with acute symptoms that cannot be managed in any other setting.