Hospice Care FAQs in North County San Diego

No. Hospice is about living fully, with comfort and dignity, for however many days remain. It’s not about giving up — it’s about embracing peace and making each moment matter.

A conversation about hospice makes sense when a serious illness keeps progressing, treatments are no longer helping or are causing more burden than benefit, or hospital visits are becoming frequent. Medicare covers hospice when a hospice doctor and the patient’s regular doctor certify a life expectancy of six months or less if the illness runs its normal course.

Starting earlier gives patients and families more time with the support of a full care team, and talking with us does not commit you to starting care.

Palliative care focuses on relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. It can begin at any stage, including alongside treatment meant to cure or control the illness. Hospice is comfort-focused care for people who are no longer pursuing curative treatment and have a life expectancy of six months or less.

Both use a team approach, and a patient may move from palliative care to hospice when the time is right.

Yes. Your loved one’s primary care physician can remain involved in their care. In addition, palliative care physicians and nurse practitioners can visit the home to offer expert comfort-focused support. They collaborate with your existing medical team to ensure the best possible care.

• We’re a local nonprofit with a quick response time (1 hour for current patients, 2 hours for new referrals)
• 24/7 RN access and low staff-to-patient ratios
• We provide in-home care and deliver medications/equipment directly to the patient
• Our Pacifica House is the only inpatient hospice house in North County
• We offer complementary therapies like massage, pet therapy, reiki, music, and aromatherapy

Hospice care is provided wherever the patient calls home, whether that is a private residence or a facility where they live, such as an assisted living community or nursing home. Our care team comes to you, and we deliver medications and equipment directly to the patient. When a patient needs a higher level of care, inpatient hospice care is available at Pacifica House in Carlsbad.

Pacifica House is our inpatient hospice house in Carlsbad, California. It opened in 2013 as North County’s first inpatient hospice house, and it remains the only one in North County. Learn more about Pacifica House.

Hospice cares for the whole family, not only the patient. Our team includes nurses, doctors, home health aides, social workers, spiritual counselors, and trained volunteers. We offer emotional support for patients and caregivers, in-home care that helps families stay connected, and complementary therapies like massage, pet therapy, reiki, music, and aromatherapy. After a loss, we provide bereavement support for 13 months. Meet our care team.

For patients with Original Medicare, hospice care from a Medicare-approved provider is covered at no cost for services related to the terminal illness. Medicare may charge a copayment of up to $5 for each prescription for pain and symptom relief, and 5% of the Medicare-approved amount for inpatient respite care. Room and board is not covered when a patient lives in a facility.

Coverage under other insurance plans can differ. Call us at 760.431.4100 and our team will help you understand your options.

Yes. Choosing hospice is always the patient’s decision. A patient can stop hospice care, for example if their condition improves or they decide to pursue curative treatment, and return to their regular coverage. Patients with Medicare can also change hospice providers once during each benefit period.

Call us at 760.431.4100, day or night. A patient, family member, doctor, or social worker can reach out, and our team will talk through your situation, answer your questions, and coordinate with the patient’s physician. Our response time is 1 hour for current patients and 2 hours for new referrals.