Hospice

If you or a family member is facing a condition that medical treatment cannot cure, hospice can help you navigate the challenges that come with a terminal illness. The hospice team at Mayo Clinic Health System focuses on your physical, emotional and spiritual needs to keep you comfortable in the final stages of life. We are state-licensed, Medicare-certified and accredited by The Joint Commission.

Our mission is to provide comfort care and support while managing the pain and symptoms of an advanced illness. Our team prepares an individualized care plan to help you or your loved one live each day to the fullest. You will have access to a team of integrated healthcare professionals and volunteers that allows you to experience compassion and dignity at the end of life.

Find out more about hospice services:

• Conditions and consultations
• Services
• Hospice care specialists
• Referrals
• FAQ
• Hospice locations near you

Conditions and consultations

Hospice is not a place — it is a comprehensive approach to end-of-life care that addresses patient and family needs, including:

• Educational
• Emotional
• Physiological
• Sociological
• Spiritual

Your provider or family may recommend hospice care if you or your loved one has a limited life expectancy and no longer wishes to pursue aggressive treatment. Hospice care aims to minimize pain while providing guidance and support to you and your family. You can discontinue and resume hospice care at any time.

While hospice does not provide a cure, it does provide a care option that focuses on comfort and quality of life. Our hospice staff is available to discuss individualized care and concerns with you, your family and your healthcare provider.

Discussions that change the focus of care from curative to comfort can be difficult. However, it is appropriate to discuss all care options, including hospice, during a terminal illness.

Hospice may be right for you and your family if you or your loved one has been:

• Experiencing shortness of breath, even while resting
• Falling several times in the past six months
• Feeling weaker or more tired
• Hospitalized or visited the emergency room several times in the past six months
• Losing weight so that clothing is noticeably looser
• Making more frequent phone calls to the healthcare provider
• Needing help from others with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing and eating
• Requiring assistance to get out of bed or walk
• Spending most of the day in a chair or bed
• Taking medication to reduce physical pain

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Services

Our specially trained hospice providers offer comprehensive and compassionate services and support, including:

• Assistance with personal care needs
• Bereavement support
• Companionship with trained hospice volunteers
• Complementary therapies and treatments, such as massage, aromatherapy, yoga and music therapy
• Continuous care
• Education for loved ones and caregivers
• Help with advance care planning
• In-hospital care, as needed
• Medical equipment, supplies and medications
• Medication management
• Nutritional assessments and support
• On-call nursing available 24/7
• Pain and symptom management
• Physical, occupational and speech therapies
• Respite care
• Social work
• Spiritual care

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Hospice care specialists

Our hospice team takes an interdisciplinary approach to care for those experiencing the final phase of life.

Our specialists include:

• Primary care providers
• Advanced practice providers
• Hospice medical directors
• Nurses
• Pharmacists
• Social workers
• Chaplains
• Hospice aides
• Trained volunteers

Additional care may be provided by:

• Occupational therapists
• Physical therapists
• Registered dietitians
• Speech therapists

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Referrals

A referral may be required for hospice care. Call your preferred hospice location to learn more.

If you are a provider, you can refer a patient online, by phone or by fax.

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FAQ

How do I set up hospice care for myself or a loved one?

Anyone can refer a person to hospice services, including:

• Person needing hospice care
• Family
• Healthcare provider
• Clergy
• Social service agency

Your primary care provider and the hospice medical director must certify that:

• The illness is terminal
• Life expectancy is six months or fewer if the illness runs its normal course
• Goal of care is comfort rather than a cure

Where is hospice care provided?

Most hospice services take place in the familiar setting of your home, whether you live in:

• Assisted living
• Group or foster home
• Private residence
• Short-term rental
• Skilled nursing home

Our hospice team makes every effort to provide the services, support and equipment needed to care for you wherever you reside, for as long as possible. If you require a higher level of care for pain or symptom control, and that care cannot possibly be provided in any other setting, they may arrange for short-term inpatient care.

What is the difference between palliative care and hospice?

Palliative care and hospice both provide support and holistic care for people facing serious illness. However, there are critical differences:

• Hospice care provides comfort and support when you are no longer receiving curative and aggressive treatment for a terminal illness. Hospice care is available when life expectancy is six months or less, although it can continue for an extended period. Many people receive hospice care where they live or at a freestanding hospice facility. For people who have uncontrolled pain or symptoms despite home interventions, care may be provided at a hospital.
• Palliative care is available for people diagnosed with a serious or terminal illness, from the time of the diagnosis throughout the course of the illness and treatment. You can receive palliative care in many settings, including the hospital, clinic and wherever you call home.

Can I become a hospice volunteer?

We welcome those who would like to volunteer for hospice care. Hospice volunteers are a vital part of the team and can offer support in many ways, such as:

• Animal-assisted support
• Bereavement support
• Clerical support, such as supply packaging, mailings and other tasks
• Companionship and social support
• Veteran recognition

All hospice volunteers are required to complete training and onboarding elements. Click here to apply.

Call your preferred hospice care location for more information.

Do you offer bereavement and grief support?

Our hospice care team offers support to people connected to the patient at no charge for 13 months after a loved one's death. A bereavement coordinator will contact you about these services a few weeks following the death.

Our grief support services include:

• Grief support groups, which provide a safe place to connect with others and normalize grief
• Individual support offered in person, by phone and through interactive video appointments
• Invitations to special events and memorial programs, such as remembrance ceremonies and educational events related to grief and loss
• Mailed resources that include information about the grief process, suggestions for navigating grief and other educational materials
• Referrals to community resources

Can I make a gift in memory of my loved one?

Making a gift in memory of a loved one is a meaningful way to say thank you. You can make a memorial gift to Mayo Clinic and designate it to the hospice care location of your choice. When making your gift, please include a note indicating:

• That the gift is to support hospice care
• Which hospice care location should receive the gift
• The name of the person you wish to honor, if desired
• The name and mailing address of anyone, such as a family member, that you would like to notify of the gift. Mayo Clinic will send a notification of your memorial gift without disclosing the gift amount

Make checks payable to Mayo Clinic and mail to:

Mayo Clinic
Department of Development
200 First St. SW
Rochester, MN 55905

Your gift is processed at Mayo Clinic, and the entirety of your gift goes to the site you designate. Learn more about donating or make a gift online.

Does Medicare cover hospice?

Your Medicare hospice benefit should cover everything included in your hospice plan of care. You and your family work with your hospice care team to create a plan tailored to your specific needs.

Medicare's hospice benefit does not cover:

• Ambulance transportation
• Care that is not set up by your hospice medical team, including inpatient and outpatient hospital care
• Prescription drugs intended to cure your illness
• Room and board if you get hospice care where you live. It does cover short-term inpatient care and respite care.
• Treatment intended to cure your terminal illness or related conditions

Our Patient Account Services team is happy to answer questions and help you navigate billing and insurance.

We serve patients in difficult financial circumstances. We offer financial assistance to those who have an established need to receive medically necessary services. 

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Explore locations near you for details on hospice care: