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What Is Hospice Recertification and Why Does It Happen?

July 13, 2026 by Journey Palliative and Hospice

Hospice recertification is the routine process where a hospice physician confirms a patient still meets Medicare’s eligibility criteria for hospice care. It happens at set intervals, the first two 90-day periods, then every 60 days after, and it does not necessarily mean a patient’s condition is worsening. It simply ensures continued coverage and keeps the care plan aligned with the patient’s current needs.

Why “Recertification” Can Sound Alarming

If you’ve recently heard the word “recertification” from your loved one’s hospice team, it’s natural for your mind to jump to the worst-case interpretation. For many families, hospice already feels like unfamiliar territory, full of new terms, new routines, and new people in the home. Adding a word like “recertification” into the mix can make it feel like something has shifted, or that a decision is being made about your loved one’s future without your input.

Take a breath. In almost every case, recertification is simply part of how hospice care is structured under Medicare. It’s a built-in checkpoint that happens for every hospice patient, on a predictable schedule, regardless of whether their condition has changed.

Understanding what’s actually happening behind this term can take a lot of the anxiety out of the process and help you feel more confident asking questions when your care team brings it up.

How the Hospice Benefit Is Structured

To understand recertification, it helps to understand how Medicare organizes hospice care into what are called “benefit periods.” These are blocks of time during which hospice services are authorized:

The first benefit period lasts 90 days
The second benefit period also lasts 90 days
Every benefit period after that lasts 60 days, and there is no limit to how many a patient can have, as long as they continue to qualify

At the start of each new period, before hospice services can continue, a hospice physician or medical director must certify in writing that the patient still has a life expectancy of six months or less, assuming the illness follows its typical course. This is the “recertification.”

Beginning with the third benefit period, Medicare requires something additional: a face-to-face encounter. This means a hospice physician or nurse practitioner must visit the patient in person before recertifying them, to personally assess their condition and confirm that hospice remains appropriate.

This structure isn’t unique to any one hospice provider. It’s a Medicare requirement that applies across the country, which means every hospice patient on Medicare goes through this same rhythm of certification and recertification.

Learn More About What to Expect When Starting Hospice

Why Recertification Exists in the First Place

It’s worth asking: why does Medicare require this at all? A few reasons sit behind the policy, and most of them are actually protective for patients and families.

It keeps the care plan honest and current. Hospice is meant for patients with a limited life expectancy, but the course of an illness isn’t always predictable. Some patients decline steadily. Others stabilize for weeks or months, sometimes due to the comfort and symptom management hospice provides. Recertification gives the medical team a structured opportunity to step back, look at the full picture, and confirm that hospice is still the right fit, or to flag if something has changed.
It protects the integrity of the Medicare hospice benefit. Because hospice is a Medicare-funded benefit with specific eligibility criteria, the program includes checks to ensure that care continues to be medically appropriate. This isn’t about distrust of families or patients. It’s a system-wide safeguard built into how the benefit is designed.
It creates a natural moment for reassessment. Even outside of insurance requirements, regular reassessment is good clinical practice. Recertification visits give the hospice physician a reason to revisit symptom control, medication needs, equipment, and the goals of care, making sure everything still reflects what the patient and family want and need.
It supports continuity, not interruption. Perhaps most importantly for families: recertification, when completed properly, means hospice services continue without a gap. Medications keep arriving. Nursing visits continue. Equipment stays in place. The administrative process happens quietly so that the day-to-day care your loved one relies on doesn’t skip a beat.

What Families Can Expect During the Recertification Process

For most families, recertification happens largely behind the scenes. Your hospice team handles the documentation, scheduling, and physician sign-off as a normal part of ongoing care. Still, it helps to know what might show up on your radar:

A scheduled visit from a hospice physician or nurse practitioner. Starting with the third benefit period, this face-to-face visit is required. The visit itself is usually calm and conversational; the clinician is checking in on comfort, symptoms, and overall condition, not conducting an exam that feels invasive or alarming.
A conversation about how things have been going. Your hospice team may ask you and your loved one questions about recent changes, whether symptoms feel well-managed, and whether anything new has come up since the last review.
Continuity of services. As long as the patient continues to meet eligibility criteria, recertification simply renews the benefit period. There’s no action required from families in most cases, no paperwork to sign, no gap in care to plan around.
Possible adjustments to the care plan. Sometimes recertification visits surface small changes worth addressing, perhaps a new medication, an additional piece of equipment, or a referral to a service like physical therapy or specialized pain management. These adjustments are part of hospice doing its job well.

What If a Patient No Longer Meets Eligibility?

Occasionally, a patient’s condition improves enough that they no longer meet the criteria for hospice, often because their disease has stabilized longer than expected. When this happens, the hospice physician will not recertify the patient for the next benefit period.

This isn’t a punishment, and it isn’t a sign that something went wrong. If anything, it reflects a positive change in the patient’s condition. In these situations, the hospice team will talk openly with the family about what it means, what other services or care settings might be appropriate, and how to make the transition as smooth as possible. Patients can also be re-admitted to hospice later if their condition changes again and they once again meet the criteria.

What This Means for Your Family

At its core, recertification is one of the quiet mechanisms that keep hospice care running smoothly and responsibly. It exists to make sure that:

Care remains medically appropriate
Coverage continues without interruption
The care plan reflects the patient’s current condition
Families have a built-in checkpoint for questions and conversations with the care team

If your loved one is approaching a recertification period, you don’t need to prepare anything special. The best thing you can do is use it as a natural opportunity to ask your hospice team any questions you’ve been holding onto, about symptoms, about what to expect next, or about how the plan of care might evolve.

We’re Here for Your Loved One’s Care

Recertification is just one part of a much bigger picture: your loved one’s comfort, dignity, and quality of life. If you have questions about where things stand in their care plan, our team is happy to walk through it with you, plainly and at your pace.

Contact Journey Palliative and Hospice or call (818) 748-3427.

Setting Up a Safe Home for Advanced Dementia Hospice Care

July 7, 2026 by Journey Palliative and Hospice

As advanced dementia progresses, the home environment plays a major role in a patient’s safety, comfort, and sense of calm. Simple changes: clearing walkways, securing wandering risks, adjusting lighting, and bringing in the right durable medical equipment can prevent falls, reduce confusion, and make caregiving easier.

Hospice teams like Journey Palliative and Hospice can assess the home and help bring in equipment such as hospital beds, wheelchairs, and bathroom safety aids as part of hospice care.

Most of the changes that make a home safer for advanced dementia hospice care are practical and can be made gradually, often with support from your hospice care team, who can walk through the home with you and point out what to prioritize first.

Why Home Safety Looks Different With Advanced Dementia

In the advanced stages of dementia, patients often experience:

Increased confusion about time, place, and familiar spaces
Reduced mobility, balance, and coordination
Wandering or attempts to “go home” even while at home
Sensory changes that make shadows, reflections, or noise distressing
Difficulty recognizing hazards like stairs, hot surfaces, or sharp edges
Trouble communicating discomfort, pain, or needs

This means safety planning isn’t just about preventing falls – it’s about reducing confusion and agitation, too. A calm, predictable environment can ease anxiety for both the patient and the family caring for them.

It also means safety planning isn’t a one-time project. As the disease progresses, what worked a few months ago may no longer be enough. A bedroom setup that was fine when your loved one could still walk independently may need a hospital bed and lift six months later. Building in regular walkthroughs – ideally with input from your hospice nurse or aide – helps the home keep pace with changing needs instead of catching up after an incident.

Understanding the Most Common Risks

Before going room by room, it helps to understand the patterns behind most home safety incidents involving advanced dementia:

Falls. The leading cause of injury is often linked to disorientation (getting up at night and forgetting where the bathroom is), poor lighting, loose rugs, or attempting to walk without assistance when mobility has declined.
Wandering. Even patients who are largely bed-bound in late-stage dementia can have moments of restlessness or attempts to get up unassisted. Earlier in the disease, wandering out of the house is a serious safety concern.
Skin breakdown. Reduced mobility increases the risk of pressure sores, particularly for patients who spend most of their time in bed or a chair.
Dehydration and missed medications. Communication difficulties can mean a patient doesn’t express thirst, hunger, or discomfort in ways caregivers recognize.
Caregiver injury. Lifting, repositioning, and transferring a loved one without the right equipment is one of the most common causes of caregiver back and shoulder injuries.

Keeping these patterns in mind makes it easier to prioritize which changes matter most for your specific situation, rather than trying to do everything at once.

Room-by-Room Safety Checklist

Bedroom

The bedroom is where most patients in advanced hospice care spend the majority of their time, so it deserves the most attention.

Use a hospital bed with adjustable height and side rails to reduce fall risk and ease repositioning
Add a pressure-relief mattress to help prevent bedsores for patients with limited mobility
Keep a clear path to the bathroom, with night lighting along the route
Remove area rugs and excess furniture that create tripping hazards
Position the bed so caregivers can access both sides for repositioning and care tasks
Keep a phone, call bell, or baby monitor within reach so the patient (or caregiver) can signal for help

Bathroom

Bathrooms are one of the highest-risk rooms in the home due to hard, slick surfaces and the physical effort involved in transfers.

Install grab bars near the toilet and shower
Use a raised toilet seat or bedside commode if mobility is limited
Add non-slip mats inside and outside the shower or tub
Keep water temperature moderate to avoid burns, since temperature sensitivity often changes
Consider a shower chair for patients who can still bathe with assistance
Store razors, medications, and cleaning products out of reach or in locked cabinets

Living Areas

Shared spaces matter too, especially if your loved one still spends time outside the bedroom during the day.

Secure or remove loose cords, rugs, and clutter from walkways
Use furniture with rounded edges where possible
Keep frequently used items (glasses, remote, tissues) within easy reach to reduce frustration
Consider a wheelchair or walker for safe movement between rooms
Reduce visual clutter and strong patterns on floors or rugs, which can be disorienting for some dementia patients
Keep lighting consistent and avoid heavy shadows, which can sometimes be misread as objects or hazards

Kitchen and Doors

Even if your loved one no longer cooks, kitchens and exterior doors carry risks worth addressing early.

Install childproof locks on cabinets with cleaning supplies, medications, or sharp objects
Add door alarms or locks on exterior doors if wandering is a concern
Turn off or unplug small appliances when not in use
Consider a stove knob cover or shutoff if the patient still has access to the kitchen unsupervised

The Role of Durable Medical Equipment in Home Safety

Many of the safety adjustments above involve equipment that hospice care can provide and set up directly in the home. Through Journey’s durable medical equipment services, this can include:

Hospital beds and pressure-relief mattresses
Wheelchairs and walkers
Patient lifts for safer transfers
Oxygen equipment, CPAP, or BiPAP if needed
Feeding pumps for patients who require them

Equipment is inspected, delivered, and set up by the hospice team, and adjusted over time as the patient’s needs change. As an example, a patient who initially only needs a hospital bed and bedside commode may, weeks later, need a patient lift as mobility declines further. Your hospice team should be reassessing equipment needs at regular visits, not just at the start of care.

Creating a Calmer Sensory Environment

Beyond physical hazards, the sensory environment plays a meaningful role in comfort for someone with advanced dementia. A few adjustments families often find helpful:

Lighting: Soft, even lighting reduces shadows and glare. Nightlights in hallways and bathrooms help orient patients who wake during the night.
Noise: Background noise from TVs, multiple conversations, or appliances can be overstimulating. Familiar, quiet sounds (a favorite playlist, a fan) are often more soothing.
Familiar objects: Photos, blankets, or items with personal meaning placed within view can provide comfort and a sense of familiarity, even as memory changes.
Routine: Where possible, keeping mealtimes, care visits, and rest periods on a consistent schedule can reduce agitation.

These changes don’t require special equipment, just attention and small adjustments based on how your loved one responds.

Supporting the Caregiver, Too

Caring for someone with advanced dementia is physically and emotionally demanding. A safer home reduces the risk of caregiver injury (from lifting or assisting with transfers) and can lower stress for everyone in the household. Equipment like patient lifts and adjustable beds isn’t just for the patient’s safety – it protects the people doing the daily work of caregiving.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, in-home caregiving and respite care services can provide additional hands-on support and short-term relief, giving family caregivers time to rest, run errands, or simply step away for a few hours.

When to Bring in Hospice Support

If your loved one’s dementia has progressed to the point where daily safety, mobility, or comfort has become difficult to manage at home, it may be time to talk with a hospice provider. Our What to Expect page walks through how the process typically begins, including an in-home assessment of needs, including safety and equipment.

A hospice team doesn’t just bring equipment. They also help families recognize which changes matter most for their specific situation, and provide ongoing support as needs shift over time.

A Calmer, Safer Home Starts With the Right Support

You don’t have to figure out every adjustment on your own. Journey Palliative and Hospice can assess your loved one’s home, recommend changes, and bring in the equipment needed to make daily life safer and more comfortable.

Call (818) 748-3427 or request care now to schedule a home assessment with our team.

What Happens If You Decide to Leave Hospice Care?

June 16, 2026 by Journey Palliative and Hospice

Leaving hospice care is a choice that belongs entirely to you and your family. Under Medicare and most insurance plans, any patient enrolled in hospice has the right to revoke their hospice benefit at any time for any reason.

When you leave, your regular Medicare or insurance benefits are restored, and you can return to curative treatment or other care options. If your situation changes again later, you can re-enroll in hospice. There are no penalties, no waiting periods, and no judgment.

You Always Have the Right to Leave

One of the most misunderstood things about hospice is that it feels permanent when it is not. Many families hesitate to enroll because they fear it is a one-way door. It is not.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), patients enrolled in the Medicare Hospice Benefit can revoke their election at any time and for any reason. The same protections apply under most private insurance and Medicaid hospice programs.

This is an important protection to understand. Enrolling in hospice care does not lock you in. It gives you and your loved one access to specialized comfort-focused support while leaving the door open for different decisions later.

What Triggers a Decision to Leave Hospice?

There is no single reason why families consider leaving hospice. Some common situations include:

A patient’s condition stabilizes or improves beyond what was expected
A family decides to pursue curative or disease-modifying treatment again
A new treatment option becomes available that the patient or family wants to try
A patient or family member simply wants a different care approach

All of these are valid. If you are unsure whether a change in your loved one’s condition means hospice is still the right fit, reach out to your hospice care team. A conversation with your nurse or physician is always the right first step. If you are still weighing your options, our blog on Hospice vs. Continuing Treatment: How Families Decide walks through how other families have thought through this decision.

What Formally Revoking Hospice Looks Like

Revoking hospice is a formal process, but it is straightforward. Here is what typically happens:

Step 1: Submit a written revocation statement. You will sign a written statement confirming your decision to end hospice care. This document is called the Notice of Election Revocation. The hospice provider prepares it, and it is effective on the date you sign it or a future date you specify.
Step 2: Your hospice services stop. Once the revocation takes effect, the hospice team will no longer provide services under the hospice benefit. This includes visits from nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains, and any hospice-covered medications or durable medical equipment.
Step 3: Your standard Medicare or insurance benefits are restored. Your regular Medicare Part A and Part B coverage resumes immediately. This means you can see your primary physician, return to specialists, and pursue treatments that were paused during hospice enrollment.

There are no financial penalties for revoking. Any days you used in your current benefit period are counted, but your access to Medicare and insurance coverage returns right away.

What Happens to Your Medications and Equipment?

This is one of the most practical questions families ask when considering a revocation. While enrolled in hospice, many medications, supplies, and equipment are covered because they relate to your terminal diagnosis. Once you revoke, those items are no longer covered under the hospice benefit.

Before your revocation takes effect, it is worth speaking with your care team about:

Which medications will need to transition to your standard Medicare Part D coverage
Any equipment currently in the home that belongs to the hospice provider
How quickly transitions will happen so there is no gap in comfort or safety

Your hospice nurse and social worker can help coordinate this transition carefully. At Journey Palliative and Hospice, our team walks families through every practical detail so that nothing falls through the cracks during a care transition.

Can You Come Back to Hospice After Leaving?

Yes. You can re-enroll in hospice after revoking.

Under Medicare, a patient can re-elect the hospice benefit any number of times. Each benefit period has a set structure (two 90-day periods followed by unlimited 60-day periods), but leaving and returning does not disqualify you. If your condition declines again after returning to curative treatment, or if you simply decide that comfort-focused care is the right path again, re-enrollment is available.

Re-enrollment requires a new certification from your physician and hospice medical director confirming that your prognosis is six months or less if the illness runs its normal course, as defined by Medicare criteria.

Support Does Not Have to Stop When Hospice Does

One thing families sometimes do not expect is how much they grieve the loss of their hospice support team when care ends. Your hospice nurses, aides, and social workers often become trusted faces during an incredibly vulnerable time.

If you or your family are navigating difficult emotions during or after this transition, bereavement services remain available. Our bereavement counselors at Journey Palliative and Hospice support families through anticipatory grief and loss regardless of how or when care ended. For more on the difference between grief support options, see our blog on Bereavement Counseling vs. Therapy: Which One Do You Need?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a patient be discharged from hospice without choosing to leave? Yes. A hospice provider can discharge a patient if the patient’s condition improves to the point that they no longer meet eligibility criteria, or if they move outside the provider’s service area. This is called a live discharge and is separate from a voluntary revocation.
Does leaving hospice affect future Medicare coverage? No. Revoking your hospice election does not reduce or eliminate your overall Medicare benefits. Standard Part A and Part B coverage resumes as of the revocation date.
What if my loved one cannot make the decision themselves? If the patient cannot make decisions independently, the legal health care decision-maker, often a family member or designated healthcare agent, can submit the revocation on their behalf.
How much notice do I need to give? There is no required advance notice period. You can revoke it on the same day you decide. The revocation date can be the date of signature or a future date of your choosing.

You Are Not Alone in This Decision

Deciding to leave hospice, or even considering it, is not a sign that you made the wrong choice by enrolling. Life changes. Conditions change. Family circumstances change. The right kind of care at any given moment is the one that best supports your loved one’s comfort, dignity, and goals.

If you have questions about revoking your hospice election, transitioning to a different level of care, or simply want to talk through your options, the Journey Palliative and Hospice team is here to help. We serve families in Burbank and throughout Los Angeles County.

Call us at (818) 748-3427 or contact us online to speak with a care coordinator. There is no pressure and no obligation. Just a conversation.

10 Common Hospice Care Myths (And the Facts Behind Them)

June 9, 2026 by Journey Palliative and Hospice

Hospice care is one of the most misunderstood parts of medicine. Many families wait too long to ask for help because of myths they have heard from friends, family, or even old shows on television. The reality is that hospice is comfort-focused care for patients with a serious illness, covered by Medicare, and designed to support the whole family. This guide walks through the 10 most common myths about hospice care and the calm, factual reality behind each one.

If you have ever hesitated to ask about hospice for someone you love, you are not alone. Most families do. Hospice is one of the most powerful forms of care in medicine, and also one of the most misunderstood. The myths you have heard are not your fault. They have been around for decades.

This guide is here to clear them up. Not to push you toward hospice, just to give you accurate information so you can make decisions with confidence and without fear.

Choosing Hospice Means Giving Up.
- Fact: Hospice is not giving up. It is choosing a different kind of fight. The goal shifts from curing the illness to comfort, dignity, and quality of life. Many families say the days after starting hospice feel calmer, clearer, and more meaningful than the months before. Patients often regain time and energy they had lost to treatment side effects.
Hospice Is Only for the Last Few Days of Life.
- Fact: Under the Medicare Hospice Benefit, hospice care is for patients with a life expectancy of six months or less, if the illness follows its expected course. In practice, most families wait until the final weeks, but earlier referrals usually mean better symptom control, more support at home, and more meaningful time with family. Many patients live longer than expected once on hospice because pain and stress are well managed.
Hospice Takes Away All Medications.
- Fact: Hospice does not strip away helpful medications. The care team continues medications that support comfort and quality of life. Others are reviewed thoughtfully with the patient, family, and physician, focused on what is still helping and what is no longer needed. Pain medications, breathing treatments, anxiety relief, and many other prescriptions remain part of the plan.
Pain Medications in Hospice Speed Up Death.
- Fact: This is one of the most persistent and most harmful myths. Decades of clinical research and medical consensus show that pain medications, dosed appropriately by trained hospice professionals, manage symptoms without hastening death. Uncontrolled pain is the real harm. Hospice teams are highly trained in safe medication management, often adjusting doses in very small increments to keep patients comfortable and alert.
Hospice Is Only for Cancer Patients.
- Fact: Hospice supports patients with any serious illness whose physician certifies a six-month-or-less life expectancy. That includes advanced dementia, heart failure (CHF), end-stage COPD, kidney disease, liver disease, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, stroke recovery that has plateaued, and many others. Cancer accounts for fewer than half of all hospice patients in the United States.
Hospice Is a Place You Go.
- Fact: Hospice is a type of care, not a building. Most hospice care takes place where the patient already lives, whether at home, in an assisted living community, or in a skilled nursing facility. A short inpatient hospice stay is available when symptoms become harder to manage, but a visiting team delivers the vast majority of hospice care in-home.
Hospice Care Is Out of Reach Financially.
- Fact: Most families are surprised by how much is covered. The Medicare Hospice Benefit covers nurse visits, aide visits, social work, chaplain care, medications related to the terminal illness, medical equipment, and bereavement support, with little to no out-of-pocket cost beyond standard copays where applicable. Medi-Cal and most private insurance plans also cover hospice care. Cost should not be the reason your family waits to ask.
Once You Start Hospice, You Can’t Change Your Mind.
- Fact: Patients can leave hospice at any time and return to curative treatment if they choose. They can also re-enroll later if they meet eligibility criteria again. Hospice is not a one-way door, and choosing hospice today does not lock you into anything tomorrow.
You Have to Give Up Your Regular Doctor.
- Fact: Your loved one’s attending physician can stay involved in the care plan. The hospice medical director coordinates with them, not around them. Many families find their relationship with their long-time doctor deepens during hospice because there is more time and less urgency.
Hospice Only Helps the Patient, Not the Family.
- Fact: Hospice is built around the whole family. The interdisciplinary team includes a physician, a registered nurse case manager, a social worker, a chaplain, a home health aide, and trained volunteers. Family caregivers get respite breaks, education, emotional support, and bereavement counseling for up to 13 months after the loss. You are not expected to do this alone.

What Hospice Actually Looks Like Day to Day

When myths fade, and reality settles in, hospice usually looks like this:

A nurse who visits regularly and knows your loved one’s history
A home health aide who comes a few times a week for bathing, grooming, and personal care
A social worker who helps with paperwork, planning, and family conversations
A chaplain who is available if your family wants spiritual or emotional support
Medications and equipment were delivered to the home
A 24-hour on-call line for urgent symptoms or worries
Calm presence in the room when you need it most

How Journey Hospice Supports Families in Burbank and Los Angeles County

Our team at Journey Hospice serves families in Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, North Hollywood, and across Los Angeles County. We meet with every family with no pressure and no commitment, walk through what hospice would look like for your specific situation, and answer the questions the myths leave behind. If hospice turns out not to be the right fit yet, we will tell you that honestly.

You don’t have to figure out hospice on your own. We do this every day, and our job is to make it easier for you.

Talk With Our Care Team

If you or someone you love is considering hospice care in Burbank or Los Angeles County and you want clear answers instead of myths, our team is here to help. A short conversation can replace months of worry.

Call Journey Hospice at (818) 748-3427 or request a consultation online.

The Role of Physical Therapy in Hospice Care

June 2, 2026 by Journey Palliative and Hospice

Physical therapy in hospice care focuses on comfort, safety, and preserved mobility rather than recovery. A hospice physical therapist helps reduce pain through gentle movement, prevents falls, teaches safe transfers, and coaches caregivers on positioning and equipment. Under the Medicare Hospice Benefit, physical therapy can be included when it supports the patient’s plan of care.

When a loved one enters hospice, the goal of care shifts. The focus moves from curing to comforting, from progress to peace. That shift can leave families wondering about therapies that once felt central to recovery, like physical therapy.

The honest answer is that physical therapy still has a meaningful place in hospice care. It just looks different. Instead of working toward strength gains or rehab milestones, a hospice physical therapist helps your loved one stay as comfortable, safe, and independent as possible for as long as possible.

What Physical Therapy Looks Like in Hospice Care

In hospice, physical therapy is comfort-focused, not recovery-focused. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recognizes physical therapy as a service that can be covered under the Medicare Hospice Benefit when it supports the goals of the patient’s plan of care.

A hospice physical therapist may help your loved one:

Move more comfortably in bed or a chair
Transfer safely between bed, wheelchair, and bathroom
Reduce pain related to stiffness or immobility
Maintain function long enough to enjoy meaningful moments with family
Avoid falls, pressure injuries, and worsening discomfort

This kind of therapy is gentle, paced, and patient-led. Sessions can be short. The therapist watches for fatigue, follows what your loved one can tolerate that day, and adjusts as needs change.

How Hospice Physical Therapy Differs From Rehab PT

If you’re used to thinking of physical therapy as something that happens after surgery or a hospital stay, the hospice version may surprise you.

Standard rehab PT focuses on recovery. Hospice PT focuses on quality of life.

Standard Rehab PT	Hospice PT
Restore function and strength	Preserve comfort and dignity
Push toward measurable progress	Adjust to current ability
Long-term goal setting	Short-term, day-by-day goals
Sessions may be intensive	Sessions are gentle and brief
Discharge when goals are met	Care continues as needs evolve

If you’re weighing this shift in care priorities, our guide on hospice vs. continuing treatment walks through how families think it through.

What a Hospice Physical Therapy Visit Looks Like

A first visit usually starts with a conversation, not exercises. The therapist will:

Assess current mobility, pain, and safety risks. This includes how your loved one moves in bed, how steady they are when standing, and where the home setup helps or creates risk.
Talk with you about goals. Maybe it’s walking to the patio one more time. Maybe it’s sitting up comfortably for family visits. Goals in hospice are personal and meaningful.
Build a gentle plan. This may include a light range of motion work, positioning techniques, transfer training, or recommendations for equipment.
Coach caregivers. Family members often learn the most from these visits. The therapist shows you how to help safely without straining your own back or your loved one’s body.

Visits are coordinated with the rest of the hospice care team, including nurses, aides, social workers, and chaplains.

Who Benefits From Hospice Physical Therapy

Physical therapy in hospice isn’t right for every patient or every stage. Your hospice physician and care team will decide together with you whether it fits the current plan of care.

It often helps patients who:

Have recently transitioned from a hospital or skilled nursing to home
Live with pain related to immobility or muscle stiffness
Are still walking but at high fall risk
Have advanced dementia and need positioning support
Want to keep participating in family routines a little longer
Are stabilizing after a recent decline

For some patients in late-stage decline, the team may step back from active PT and shift to comfort positioning instead. That’s a sign the plan is responsive to your loved one’s needs, not a sign that care has stopped.

How Physical Therapy Fits With the Rest of Hospice Care

Physical therapy rarely works alone. It’s one piece of a coordinated hospice care plan that may also include:

Specialized pain management for symptom control
Home health aide visits for personal care and bathing
In-home caregiving for daily support
Durable medical equipment like hospital beds, walkers, and wheelchairs
Respite care so primary caregivers can rest

When pain is making it hard to move safely, the PT and the pain management team work together. Our blog on what specialized pain management looks like in hospice explains how that side of the team operates.

Common Questions Families Ask About Hospice Physical Therapy

Is physical therapy covered under hospice? It can be. Under the Medicare Hospice Benefit, physical therapy may be included when it supports the goals in the hospice plan of care. The care team decides what’s appropriate for each patient.
Will my loved one get worse if PT stops? Hospice physical therapy is designed to match your loved one’s current condition. If active PT is no longer appropriate, the team shifts to comfort positioning and caregiver coaching. The goal stays the same: comfort and dignity.
How often does the physical therapist visit? It depends on the plan of care. Some patients see PT weekly, others on an as-needed basis, and others may have only a one-time evaluation and caregiver training visit.
Can PT help prevent falls at home? Often, yes. The therapist can recommend grab bars, walker adjustments, safer transfer techniques, and changes to the home layout that reduce fall risk.
Does the therapist do exercises with my loved one? Sometimes. A gentle range of motion or seated exercises may help with stiffness and circulation. The therapist adjusts each session to what your loved one can comfortably tolerate that day.

Supporting Families Across Burbank and Greater Los Angeles

Journey Hospice provides physical therapy services as part of our full hospice care offering across Burbank, Pasadena, Los Angeles, and surrounding communities. You can view our full service area here.

Our team meets families where they are: in private homes, assisted living communities, board and care homes, and skilled nursing facilities throughout LA County.

Talk With Our Team About What PT Could Look Like for Your Loved One

You don’t have to figure this out alone. Our care team can walk you through what hospice physical therapy looks like for your loved one’s specific situation, what’s covered, and how it fits with the rest of the plan of care.

Schedule a consultation or call (818) 748-3427 to talk with a Journey Hospice care coordinator. We’re here whenever you’re ready.

See What Our Clients Are Saying About Us!

Excellent

Journey Palliative and Hospice5.0

Based on 21 reviews

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Serine K.

1 month ago

Our family is deeply grateful for the exceptional care and compassion provided by Journey Palliative hospice team during my father-in-law’s final days. From the very beginning, they were always there for us 24/7 responding quickly to every request and ensuring that all of his needs were met with professionalism and kindness. A special thank you to Ovsanna, RN whose knowledge, expertise, and dedication to patient care were truly remarkable. She handled every situation with confidence, compassion, and professionalism, providing guidance and reassurance to our family during an incredibly difficult time. The continuous care provided by the experienced and professional nursing staff was an enormous source of comfort and support. Knowing that skilled and caring nurses were by his side gave us peace of mind and allowed us to focus on spending precious time with our loved one. Throughout this journey, the entire hospice team showed genuine understanding, empathy, and respect. They treated our father-in-law with dignity and cared for our family as if we were their own. Their support made an immeasurable difference during one of the most challenging times of our lives. We cannot thank them enough for their outstanding service, compassion, and unwavering commitment to providing exceptional end-of-life care. We highly recommend Journey Palliative and Hospice services to any family in need of professional, caring, and trustworthy support and will definitely consider working with them in the future if any of our family member may need hospice services and care.

Zahira I.

5 months ago

We are incredibly grateful for the hospice team and the care they provided during such a difficult time. Everyone was kind, informative, and truly supportive every step of the way. They truly made the process feel less overwhelming. We also deeply appreciate the delivery drivers who would come late at night to make sure we had the medications we needed, their dedication truly meant so much to us. We couldn’t have asked for better care and are so thankful for everything they did for us.

Adrine K.

6 months ago

We are deeply grateful for the compassionate care and support this hospice team provided to my late father. During an incredibly difficult time for our family, they treated him with dignity, kindness, and genuine respect. Nurse Ovsanna, in particular, made an extraordinary difference through her gentle presence, unwavering compassion, and genuine dedication. She cared for my father as if he were her own, offering comfort, reassurance, and heartfelt kindness when we needed it most. The staff was attentive, patient, and always available to answer questions or offer comfort—not only to my father, but to our entire family. Their guidance helped ease our worries and allowed us to focus on spending meaningful time together. We will never forget the warmth, professionalism, and empathy they showed, and we truly appreciate everything they did for our father in his final days.

Martiros S.

Journey Palliative and Hospice came into our lives during one of the hardest seasons we have ever faced, and they truly felt like a blessing. From the moment they began caring for my mother, it was clear that she was in loving, compassionate hands. She was in their care for quite some time, and throughout that journey, the entire hospice team showed extraordinary kindness—not only to my mother, but to our whole family. My mother was treated with unwavering dignity, respect, and genuine love. Every interaction reflected how deeply they cared for her comfort, her peace, and her humanity. They tended to her physical needs with professionalism and urgency, while also surrounding our family with emotional support, patience, and understanding. They listened to us, reassured us, and walked beside us through every painful step. During a time filled with uncertainty and heartache, their compassion and empathy brought us comfort and strength. The difference they made in our lives is immeasurable, and we will always be grateful for the care they gave my mother and the kindness they showed our family. We wholeheartedly recommend Journey Palliative and Hospice to any family seeking truly compassionate, patient-centered end-of-life care.

Sharon

8 months ago

I really cannot imagine how I would have gotten through the last chapter of my mother's live as her 24/7 caretaker without the kind wisdom, and steadying...

Rosio A.

9 months ago

I am so very grateful to Journey Palliative and Hospice care for the amazing care they gave my sister. They came to our home and provided everything she...

chris M.

2 years ago

I had an amazing tour and discussion about the features and services at Journey Palliative Hospice. I found thier staff to be very attentive and caring to the patients while I was there

Pam R.

My Mom was under their care for a month. They are the most kind caring people. They knew just what to do at all stages. It was a very difficult time but they help me get through it every moment. Thank you so much .