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How Hospice Sets Up Equipment Before They Arrive

September 28, 2026 by Journey Palliative and Hospice

Before hospice care begins in the home, the hospice team typically coordinates delivery and setup of necessary medical equipment, such as a hospital bed, oxygen supplies, or a wheelchair, so the home is ready before the first visit. This is arranged as part of the hospice admission process, at no direct cost to the family under the Medicare Hospice Benefit for covered items.

A Common Question Families Ask

One of the first practical questions families ask when starting hospice is some version of: “What do we need to buy or set up before care begins?” It’s a fair question, and often a source of unnecessary stress, since many families assume they’ll need to source medical equipment on their own.

In most cases, that’s not how it works. Coordinating equipment is part of what a hospice team handles, not something families are expected to arrange themselves.

What Equipment Is Typically Involved

The specific equipment a patient needs depends on their diagnosis, mobility, and care plan. Common items include:

Hospital beds, which allow for adjustable positioning and easier caregiving
Oxygen equipment for patients with respiratory symptoms
Wheelchairs or transport chairs for patients with limited mobility
Bedside commodes, to reduce fall risk and ease bathroom access
Walkers or canes, depending on the patient’s mobility level
Pressure-relief mattresses or cushions to help prevent skin breakdown for patients who are largely bed-bound

Not every patient needs every item. The hospice team assesses individual needs during the intake process and adjusts the plan as those needs change over time.

How the Setup Process Generally Works

While specifics can vary based on a patient’s location and situation, the general sequence looks like this:

Assessment during intake. A member of the care team evaluates the patient’s condition, mobility, and home environment to determine what equipment is appropriate.
Coordination with equipment providers. The hospice team arranges for delivery through its durable medical equipment resources, rather than leaving the family to research and order items independently. You can see the scope of this support on our Durable Medical Equipment page.
Delivery and setup in the home. Equipment is typically delivered and set up before or very close to the start of hospice care, so the home is prepared when care begins.
Instructions for the family. Team members walk the family through how to use each piece of equipment safely, including any adjustments or maintenance involved.
Ongoing adjustments. As a patient’s needs change, equipment can be added, removed, or exchanged, since hospice care plans are reassessed on a regular basis rather than fixed at the outset.

Why This Matters for Families

Families starting hospice are often already managing a lot: appointments, medications, emotional strain, and difficult decisions. Having to also research, purchase, and assemble medical equipment on top of that can add an unnecessary burden at an already difficult time.

By handling equipment logistics directly, the hospice team allows families to focus more on being present with their loved one and less on managing logistics. This is one part of a broader pattern in how hospice care is structured to reduce the burden on family caregivers. Our blog post on how hospice helps families spend less time managing care and more time together goes into more detail on this.

What About Cost?

Under the Medicare Hospice Benefit, durable medical equipment related to the patient’s terminal diagnosis is generally covered as part of the hospice plan of care. Coverage specifics can vary based on individual circumstances, so it’s worth confirming details directly with your hospice provider rather than assuming a blanket answer applies to every situation.

What to Expect When Hospice Begins

Equipment setup is just one part of getting started. For a fuller picture of what the first days of hospice typically involve, from the initial assessment to ongoing visits, visit our What to Expect page.

For families who are also weighing how much hands-on support they’ll need day-to-day, our In-Home Caregiving services are often coordinated alongside equipment setup to support a smoother transition into care at home.

Questions Before You Start

If you’re preparing to begin hospice care and have questions about what equipment your loved one may need, our team can walk you through it based on their specific situation. Call Journey Palliative and Hospice at (818) 748-3427, or schedule a consultation to get started.

Can a Hospice Patient Get Better? What Happens When They Do

September 14, 2026 by Journey Palliative and Hospice

Yes, some hospice patients stabilize or improve enough that they no longer meet Medicare’s hospice eligibility criteria. When that happens, the hospice team documents the change, the patient’s physician reassesses their prognosis, and the patient can transition off hospice, sometimes returning to curative treatment, and re-elect the benefit later if their condition changes again.

A Question Many Families Are Afraid to Ask

Families sometimes notice something unexpected after a loved one starts hospice care: color returns to their cheeks, they’re eating a little more, they’re more alert during visits. It can feel confusing, even a little frightening, to bring this up. Does it mean the diagnosis was wrong? Does it mean hospice made a mistake?

Neither is usually true. Hospice care focuses on comfort, symptom management, and quality of life, and for some patients, that shift in focus, combined with steady nursing support, results in a period of stability or improvement. It’s not the norm, but it does happen, and there’s a clear, well-established process for what comes next.

Why Some Hospice Patients Stabilize or Improve

A patient’s condition can plateau or improve on hospice for a few different reasons:

Better symptom control. Pain, nausea, breathing difficulty, and anxiety often improve once a hospice team manages them proactively rather than reactively, which is part of why specialized pain management is such a central piece of the care plan.
More consistent care. Regular visits from nurses, aides, and hospice physicians can catch and address small issues before they become bigger ones.
Reduced stress and better rest. Removing the burden of frequent hospital trips and aggressive treatments can allow some patients’ bodies to stabilize.
The natural course of some illnesses. Certain conditions, particularly some forms of advanced dementia or chronic organ disease, can have unpredictable trajectories with periods of plateau.

None of this guarantees improvement for every patient, and hospice teams are careful not to overstate what any individual family should expect. But when it does happen, it’s a recognized part of how hospice care works, not an anomaly the system isn’t built for.

How Hospice Eligibility Is Reassessed

Medicare requires hospice patients to be recertified periodically to confirm they still meet eligibility guidelines, generally tied to a prognosis of six months or less if the illness runs its expected course. As we covered in our post on what hospice recertification is and why it happens, this isn’t a one-time judgment call. It’s an ongoing part of hospice care, built around regular visits from the hospice physician and medical director.

During recertification, the care team looks at:

Changes in the patient’s symptoms and overall condition
Weight, mobility, and functional status compared to prior visits
Any new diagnoses or complications
Input from the patient’s family and direct caregivers

If the hospice medical director determines a patient no longer meets the criteria for a limited prognosis, that’s documented, and the family is brought into the conversation right away.

What Happens When a Patient No Longer Qualifies for Hospice

If a patient’s condition has genuinely improved or stabilized beyond hospice guidelines, a few things typically happen:

The hospice physician documents the change and explains the reasoning to the patient and family, an approach outlined in more detail in our What to Expect guide.
The patient is discharged from hospice care, sometimes called a “live discharge” or “hospice graduation.”
Coverage shifts back to standard Medicare benefits, including curative treatment if that’s part of the plan going forward.
The hospice team helps coordinate next steps, which may include referrals to primary care, palliative care, or other support services.

Learn more: What happens if you decide to leave hospice care

Talking With Your Family About a Change Like This

An unexpected improvement can bring up a mix of emotions. Relief. Hope. Sometimes confusion about what it means for the road ahead. It’s worth taking time as a family to process this before jumping straight to logistics.

A few things can help:

Ask the care team direct questions. What does this change actually mean for prognosis, day-to-day care, and next steps?
Loop in the hospice social worker or chaplain. Many hospice teams have support specifically for these transition conversations, not just clinical changes, and it pairs well with the emotional support offered through bereavement and family support services.
Revisit goals of care as a family. A patient’s wishes may or may not have changed, and it’s worth checking in rather than assuming.

There’s no single right way to feel about this kind of news, and your hospice team should be able to walk through it with you at whatever pace your family needs.

What This Means Going Forward

Whether a patient is discharged from hospice or simply continues with a longer prognosis than initially expected, families often have questions about ongoing support. Depending on the situation, options may include:

Returning to curative treatment with the patient’s primary care physician or specialists
Transitioning to palliative care, which manages symptoms and quality of life without the same prognosis requirements as hospice, a distinction we break down on our palliative care services page
Continued in-home support, such as in-home caregiving or home health aide services, if the patient still needs help day to day
Re-electing hospice later, if the patient’s condition changes again and they meet eligibility criteria, as explained in Hospice Is Not a One-Way Door

Your hospice team can help talk through which of these fits your family’s situation, and coordinate referrals so care doesn’t feel disjointed during the transition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a hospice patient really get better? Some patients stabilize or improve enough that they no longer meet Medicare’s hospice eligibility criteria. This isn’t common for every diagnosis, but it is a recognized and expected part of how hospice care works.
Does improving mean a patient has to leave hospice? If a hospice physician determines a patient no longer meets eligibility guidelines during recertification, the patient is typically discharged from hospice care. Coverage then shifts back to standard Medicare benefits.
Can a patient return to hospice after being discharged for improvement? Yes. If their condition later declines again and they meet hospice eligibility criteria, they can be recertified and re-elect the hospice benefit with a new benefit period.
Is being discharged from hospice the same as revoking hospice care? Not exactly. Revocation is a choice a patient or family makes to leave hospice voluntarily. A discharge for an improved condition is a clinical determination made by the hospice medical director based on recertification criteria. Both paths allow a return to hospice later if eligibility criteria are met again.

Your Care Team Is Here for Every Stage

Whether your loved one’s condition is progressing, stabilizing, or improving, our team is here to help you understand what it means and what comes next. No stage of this journey has to be navigated alone.

Contact Journey Palliative and Hospice or call (818) 748-3427 to talk through your family’s specific situation with our care team.

Hospice Is Not a One-Way Door: What Families Can Do If Things Change

September 7, 2026 by Journey Palliative and Hospice

Choosing hospice care does not mean the decision is permanent. Under Medicare, patients and families can revoke hospice at any time, return to curative treatment, and re-elect the hospice benefit later if they still meet eligibility. This guide explains how revocation works, what changes to expect, and how to talk with your care team if your loved one’s situation shifts.

You’re Allowed to Change Your Mind

Families often delay calling hospice because they picture it as a final, irreversible step. That fear is understandable. Nobody wants to feel like they’re closing a door they can’t reopen.

Here’s the reality: hospice is a benefit you elect, not a contract you’re locked into. If your loved one’s condition improves, if you want to pursue a new treatment, or if your family simply needs to reassess, you can step away from hospice care and return to it later if they still qualify.

Understanding this upfront can make deciding to start hospice feel far less final, and far less frightening.

What Actually Happens When a Family Chooses Hospice

When a patient elects hospice, the focus shifts from curative treatment to comfort, symptom management, and quality of life. A hospice team, including nurses, aides, social workers, and chaplains, works alongside the family to manage pain and provide support at home or wherever the patient lives.

This is a meaningful shift, but it’s not a one-time, unchangeable event. Care plans are reviewed regularly, and patients are recertified periodically to confirm they still meet Medicare’s hospice eligibility criteria. If a patient’s condition stabilizes or improves beyond what hospice guidelines require, that’s tracked and discussed openly with the family.

Learn more: What hospice care really includes

Understanding Hospice Revocation

Revocation is the formal term for choosing to leave hospice care before the end of a benefit period. Under Medicare and most private insurance plans, this choice belongs entirely to the patient or their legal representative.

Common reasons families choose to revoke include:

A new treatment option becomes available that the patient wants to pursue
The patient’s condition improves unexpectedly
The family wants a short break to reassess care goals
A change in caregiving circumstances

Revoking hospice does not disqualify a patient from returning. If they continue to meet hospice eligibility requirements later, they can re-elect the benefit and resume care. If you’re still deciding whether hospice is the right choice, you may also find our article about common hospice myths helpful, as many families are surprised to learn that hospice can be revoked and re-elected.

What Changes (and What Doesn’t) After Revocation

It helps to know what to expect if your family decides to step away from hospice:

Coverage shifts back. Medicare returns to standard coverage for the patient’s condition, including curative treatment if that’s the goal.
The hospice team steps back. Hospice-specific services, equipment, and medications tied to the hospice benefit end at the point of revocation.
Re-election is possible. Re-election is possible. If the patient later meets hospice eligibility requirements again, they (or their representative) can re-elect the benefit and resume care.
Your relationship with the agency isn’t erased. Most hospice teams remain a resource for questions, even during a break in service.

Every family’s situation is different, so it’s worth talking through the specifics with your hospice team before making a decision either way.

Common Reasons Families Reconsider Hospice

Every family’s path looks a little different, but a few situations come up often when families are weighing whether to step away from hospice care, even temporarily:

A clinical trial or new treatment becomes available. Sometimes a patient becomes eligible for a treatment option that wasn’t on the table before, and the family wants to pursue it.
The patient’s condition stabilizes. Some patients plateau or improve for a period of time. When that happens, hospice eligibility is reassessed, and the family may choose to step back from the benefit.
A change in caregiving support. A shift in who’s available to provide care at home, or a move to a different living situation, can prompt a family to pause and reassess the plan.
Emotional readiness. Sometimes a patient or family isn’t ready to fully shift away from curative goals yet, and that’s a valid reason to revisit the decision later.

None of these reasons make a family’s earlier choice to start hospice “wrong.” Circumstances change, and the hospice benefit is built with that in mind.

How Re-Election Works If Circumstances Change Again

If your loved one revokes hospice and their condition later declines again, or if the family decides hospice is the right fit after all, re-election is a straightforward process rather than a fresh application from scratch.

Generally, this involves:

A new physician certification confirming the patient still meets Medicare’s hospice eligibility guidelines.
A conversation with the hospice agency about restarting services, whether that’s the same agency or a new one.
A new benefit period begins, with the care team building a plan based on the patient’s current needs.

Because eligibility is reassessed at re-election, it’s worth having this conversation with your care team as early as possible if you think your loved one’s needs may be shifting again. Early conversations tend to lead to smoother transitions and fewer gaps in care. If you’re unsure what physicians consider when determining eligibility, our resource on how hospice eligibility is evaluated explains the process in more detail.

Talking It Through With the Rest of the Family

Decisions about hospice rarely rest on one person’s shoulders alone, and revisiting that decision can bring up strong feelings among family members who may not all be on the same page. One sibling might feel hospice was the right call and worry about reversing course. Another might feel hopeful about a new treatment and want to move quickly.

A few things tend to help these conversations go more smoothly:

Loop in the hospice social worker or chaplain. Many hospice teams offer support specifically for these family conversations, not just medical decisions.
Separate the medical facts from the emotional weight. It can help to first agree on what’s clinically true, then talk through how everyone feels about it.
Revisit the patient’s own wishes. When possible, the patient’s preferences should guide the decision, supported by an advance directive or prior conversations about their goals of care.

You don’t have to have every family member in agreement to move forward, but giving space for these conversations can prevent added strain during an already difficult time.

Common Misconceptions About Leaving Hospice

A few myths tend to keep families from asking about their options in the first place:

“Once you start hospice, you can’t stop.” This isn’t accurate. Revocation is a right patients and families have under Medicare and most insurance plans.
“Leaving hospice means starting over from zero if you come back.” Re-election is a defined process, not a penalty. Many patients move between curative treatment and hospice more than once over the course of an illness.
“Choosing hospice means giving up.” Hospice is a shift in focus toward comfort and quality of life, not a statement about a family’s hope or effort. Families can revisit that focus at any point.

Clearing up these misconceptions early can make the initial decision to start hospice care feel less overwhelming, since families know they aren’t locking themselves into a single path.

A Simple Path Forward

If you’re weighing this decision, you don’t have to figure it out alone. A straightforward next step usually looks like this:

Talk with your hospice team about what’s changed and what you’re considering.
Ask specific questions about how revocation or re-election would affect coverage and care.
Make the decision that fits your family, knowing it isn’t permanent either way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a patient leave hospice care once they’ve started? Yes. Under Medicare and most private insurance plans, a patient or their legal representative can revoke hospice care at any time and return to standard, curative treatment.
Can a patient go back to hospice after revoking it? Yes, if they still meet hospice eligibility criteria. Re-election requires a new physician certification and the start of a new benefit period.
Does leaving hospice affect future Medicare coverage? No. Revoking hospice returns a patient to standard Medicare coverage for their condition. It does not affect their eligibility for other Medicare benefits.
Who decides to revoke hospice care? That decision belongs to the patient or their designated legal representative, in consultation with their care team and family.

You’re in Control of This Decision

Choosing hospice is not the same as giving up options. It’s a decision that can flex as your loved one’s needs change, and your care team is there to help you navigate that, whichever direction it goes.

If you have questions about how hospice care works, what to expect, or whether revocation and re-election make sense for your family’s situation, our team is here to talk it through with you.

Contact Journey Palliative and Hospice or call (818) 748-3427 to speak with our care team about your options.

What Families Often Worry About Most, and Why They’re Not Alone

August 17, 2026 by Journey Palliative and Hospice

Every family considering hospice carries some version of the same worries: Are we doing this too soon, or too late? Can we afford this? Will we know what to do when something changes? These worries are common, not a sign that something is wrong with how a family is handling this. This post walks through the concerns hospice teams hear most often, and what’s actually true behind each one.

“Are We Making This Decision Too Soon, or Too Late?”

This is often the very first worry families voice, and it makes sense. Hospice is generally appropriate for patients with a life expectancy of six months or less if an illness runs its usual course, but many families don’t know that timeframe, or assume hospice means the final days rather than a longer window of comfort-focused support. Waiting for certainty before reaching out often means missing months of support that could have made a real difference. If you’re unsure where your loved one’s situation falls, a conversation with a hospice team, not a decision made alone, is the way to find out.

It also helps to remember that reaching out for information isn’t the same as committing to anything. Families can ask questions, request an evaluation, and learn what hospice would actually look like for their specific situation, all without deciding to move forward that same day. Treating the first conversation as exploratory, rather than final, tends to make it feel far less overwhelming.

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

“Can We Afford This?”

Cost is one of the most common unspoken worries, and it often keeps families from even asking the question. For eligible patients, hospice services are covered under the Medicare hospice benefit, which is designed to remove financial barriers during an already difficult season. If you have specific questions about coverage for your family’s situation, our FAQs page addresses common questions about the admissions process and what’s typically included.

“What If We Choose Wrong and Can’t Change Course?”

Families sometimes delay hospice out of fear that it’s a one-way decision they can’t undo. That’s not how it works. Patients and families can decide to leave hospice care at any time, for any reason, and return to curative treatment if that becomes the right choice. Our post on what happens if you decide to leave hospice care walks through exactly how that process works, so this decision doesn’t have to feel permanent before you’ve even started.

“Will We Know What to Do When Something Changes?”

This worry tends to show up most for families managing conditions like advanced dementia, where changes in a loved one’s needs can happen gradually and unpredictably. It’s a reasonable thing to worry about, and it’s exactly why hospice teams stay closely involved rather than checking in occasionally. Our post on setting up a safe home for advanced dementia hospice care covers practical steps families can take, alongside their hospice team, to feel more prepared rather than caught off guard.

“Is Home the Right Setting, or Should We Consider a Facility?”

Many families aren’t sure whether hospice care works better at home or in a facility setting, and that uncertainty is understandable since the right answer depends on the specific situation, not a universal rule. Our post on hospice care at home versus facility breaks down what to weigh when making that decision, since either setting can provide quality hospice care depending on a family’s circumstances.

“Are We Doing Enough?”

This might be the quietest worry, and the hardest one to say out loud. Caregivers frequently wonder whether they’re doing enough, saying the right things, or handling each day the way they should be. There’s rarely a clean answer to this question, because caregiving during this season doesn’t come with a scorecard. What tends to help most isn’t perfection; it’s having a team around you who can share some of that weight, so you’re not carrying every decision and every uncertain moment alone.

This worry also has a way of getting louder in quiet moments, late at night or in between tasks, when there’s finally time to think instead of act. That’s often when self-doubt creeps in hardest, even for caregivers who are, by any outside measure, doing everything right. Recognizing that this feeling is common among caregivers, not a signal that something is actually wrong, can make it easier to extend yourself the same patience you’d offer someone else in your position.

“What If We Say the Wrong Thing, or Don’t Know What to Say at All?”

Families often worry about finding the right words, whether that’s talking with the patient, with each other, or with the hospice team itself. There isn’t a script that works for every family, and hospice teams aren’t expecting one. Being present, asking questions when you have them, and being honest about what you don’t know are usually more valuable than finding perfectly composed words.

Why Naming These Worries Matters

Every worry listed here shares something in common: it tends to feel isolating in the moment, and much less so once it’s actually said out loud. Hospice teams hear these same questions from nearly every family they support, which means whatever you’re feeling right now has almost certainly been felt and worked through by someone else facing the same decision.

Guidance When You Need It Most

If any of these worries sound familiar, that doesn’t mean you’re behind or doing something wrong. It means you’re paying close attention to something that matters deeply, which is exactly what caregiving during this season requires.

Journey Palliative and Hospice serves families throughout Burbank and Los Angeles County, with a team that’s used to sitting with families through exactly these questions. If you’d like to talk through what you’re feeling and what your options actually look like, contact our team or call us at (818) 748-3427. Review our What To Expect guide for a clearer picture of what those first conversations involve.

Breakthrough Pain in Hospice: How Rescue Doses Keep Your Loved One Comfortable

July 20, 2026 by Journey Palliative and Hospice

Breakthrough pain is a sudden, temporary spike in pain that occurs even when a patient is already on scheduled pain medication. In hospice care, rescue doses – small, fast-acting doses of medication are prescribed specifically to address these episodes.

This guide explains what breakthrough pain looks like, how rescue doses work, when to use them, and what families in Burbank and Los Angeles County should know before a crisis happens.

What Is Breakthrough Pain in Hospice?

Most hospice patients receive around-the-clock pain medication on a scheduled basis. That baseline dosing is designed to control what clinicians call “background pain”- the persistent, ongoing discomfort that comes with a serious illness.

Breakthrough pain is different. It’s a sudden flare of pain that breaks through the protection that scheduled medication provides. These episodes can come on quickly, often within minutes, and may last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. They can happen during movement, during personal care, or entirely without warning.

For families caring for a loved one at home, witnessing breakthrough pain can be frightening- especially if they don’t know what to do. That’s exactly why hospice teams send families home prepared.

What Are Rescue Doses?

A rescue dose is a separately prescribed, fast-acting medication given specifically for breakthrough pain. It is not a substitute for the regular pain regimen- it is a safety net layered on top of it.

Your loved one’s hospice physician or nurse practitioner will calculate the rescue dose based on their total daily opioid requirement, typically prescribing 10–15% of the 24-hour total as a single as-needed dose. The medication is usually the same drug as the long-acting medication, just in an immediate-release form.

Journey Palliative and Hospice includes rescue medication in every personalized, specialized pain management plan. Medications are delivered directly to the home, and our team ensures caregivers know exactly how and when to use them before a crisis occurs.

Types of Breakthrough Pain

Understanding the type of breakthrough pain your loved one experiences helps the care team optimize their medication plan.

Spontaneous (idiopathic) pain occurs without a clear trigger. It is unpredictable and often associated with nerve-related conditions or advanced cancer.
Incident pain is triggered by a specific activity- repositioning, bathing, transferring from bed to chair, or even coughing. Because it’s predictable, the care team can time a rescue dose 20–30 minutes before the activity to head off the pain.
End-of-dose failure happens when the long-acting medication wears off before the next scheduled dose. If your loved one is consistently in more pain in the hours before their next dose, that’s a signal the current regimen needs adjustment- not a reason to simply increase rescue dose frequency.

Your hospice nurse documents these patterns and adjusts the care plan accordingly. If you’re noticing a trend, note the time of day, what was happening beforehand, and how long the episode lasted. That information directly shapes the medication plan.

When to Call the Hospice Team

Rescue doses are effective for most breakthrough pain episodes, but there are situations where you should call your hospice nurse rather than- or in addition to- giving the medication:

The rescue dose was given, and pain did not improve within 30–60 minutes
Your loved one is having more than three or four breakthrough episodes per day (this signals the baseline needs adjusting)
The pain episode is unusually severe or different in character from prior episodes
Your loved one is having trouble breathing, appears confused, or cannot respond normally
You are uncomfortable with the situation for any reason

Frequent breakthrough episodes are not a failure of the rescue dose- they are clinical information. Your care team uses that data to refine the pain management plan so your loved one is more consistently comfortable throughout the day.

Complementary Approaches Alongside Rescue Medication

Medication is the most effective tool for breakthrough pain, but it works best as part of a broader comfort strategy. The Journey Palliative and Hospice care team also incorporates:

Positioning and repositioning: Small adjustments in body position can significantly reduce incident pain. Our home health aides and in-home caregiving team helps families learn proper repositioning technique.
Physical therapy: Gentle movement and physical support reduce pain caused by immobility and muscle tension. See how our team approaches this in The Role of Physical Therapy in Hospice Care.
Relaxation and distraction: Breathing techniques, music, and calming touch can reduce the perception of pain- particularly for anxiety-linked breakthrough episodes.
Massage and complementary therapies: Part of Journey’s individualized approach to pain management when clinically appropriate.

How Journey Palliative and Hospice Manages Breakthrough Pain in Burbank and Los Angeles County

Pain management in hospice is never one-size-fits-all. Journey Palliative and Hospice serves patients across Burbank, Los Angeles County, and surrounding communities with a multi-disciplinary team that includes registered nurses, a hospice physician, social workers, chaplains, and home health aides- all coordinating around a single goal: keeping your loved one comfortable.

Every patient receives a personalized plan that accounts for their diagnosis, comorbidities, current medications, and preferences. That plan is reviewed continuously, adjusted as symptoms evolve, and communicated clearly to family caregivers so no one feels unprepared.

Families who are unsure whether their loved one is ready for hospice- or who are weighing the decision between hospice and continuing treatment- can review our recent post, Hospice vs. Continuing Treatment: How Families Decide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often can a rescue dose be given?
- Rescue doses are typically prescribed with a minimum interval between doses- often every one to four hours as needed. If breakthrough pain is occurring more than three to four times per day, that is a signal that the patient’s scheduled medication needs to be adjusted. Frequent use of rescue doses should always be reported to the hospice nurse.
What should I do if the rescue dose doesn’t work?
- If pain has not improved 30 to 60 minutes after giving a rescue dose, call your hospice on-call nurse. A single failed dose may indicate the dose needs adjustment, a different route of administration, or that the pain has a different cause than expected. Do not give a second dose without guidance unless specifically instructed by the care team to do so.
Does using rescue doses mean my loved one is close to death?
- Not necessarily. Breakthrough pain can occur at any stage of a serious illness. Using rescue medication as prescribed is a sign that the care plan is being followed, not that death is imminent. If you have concerns about the progression of your loved one’s condition, speak openly with your hospice nurse.
Are rescue doses covered by Medicare?
- Yes. Under the Medicare Hospice Benefit, all medications related to the terminal diagnosis- including rescue dose medications- are covered. This includes the drug itself and delivery to the home. Journey Palliative and Hospice works directly with Medicare to ensure families experience no out-of-pocket surprise for covered medications.

Your Team is Here for You

Breakthrough pain is one of the most stressful situations a family caregiver can face. The difference between feeling prepared and feeling panicked in that moment is education, a written plan, and a care team you can actually reach.

Journey Palliative and Hospice serves families across Burbank and Los Angeles County with around-the-clock nursing support, home delivery of medications, and hands-on caregiver education before you ever need it.

Call us today at (818) 748-3427 or request care online to speak with our team.

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Pamela G.

2 months ago

Osvanna was the most compassionate and caring hospice nurse I have encountered. I am in the healthcare field and serve on a hospital board. She showed our father such gentle kindness and she made sure to be just as kind and transparent to my sister and I. I would highly recommend this company and ask for Osvanna. She made a very difficult and painful situation a beautiful and peaceful passing.

Serine K.

4 months 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.

9 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.

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

11 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.

1 year 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