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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.

Hospice vs. Continuing Treatment: How Families Decide

May 24, 2026 by Journey Palliative and Hospice

Choosing between hospice and continuing treatment is rarely a single, clean decision. Continuing treatment focuses on fighting the disease. Hospice focuses entirely on comfort, dignity, and quality of life once curative treatment is no longer working or no longer wanted.

This guide walks you through the differences, the signs it may be time to talk about hospice, and how families in Burbank and Los Angeles County typically work through the decision together.

What “Continuing Treatment” Actually Means

Continuing treatment usually refers to medical care aimed at curing, slowing, or controlling a disease. Depending on the illness, that can include:

Chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy
Surgery or repeat procedures
Dialysis
Hospitalizations for infections or flare-ups
IV antibiotics or transfusions
Aggressive cardiac or respiratory interventions

These treatments can extend life and, in many cases, give patients meaningful time. But as illness advances, the same treatments may become harder to tolerate, less effective, or more disruptive than helpful. That’s the moment most families begin asking whether the goal of care should shift.

What Hospice Care Is

Under the Medicare Hospice Benefit, hospice care is a model of care for patients with a serious illness whose physician certifies a life expectancy of six months or less, if the disease follows its expected course. The focus moves from curing the illness to managing pain, easing symptoms, and supporting the patient and family physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Hospice care typically includes:

A physician, a registered nurse case manager, a social worker, a chaplain, a home health aide, and trained volunteers
Pain and symptom management
Medical equipment and supplies related to the terminal illness
Medications related to comfort
Family education, counseling, and bereavement support for up to 13 months after the loss

Hospice is not a place. Most hospice care happens in the patient’s own home, an assisted living community, or a skilled nursing facility.

Hospice vs. Continuing Treatment at a Glance

	Continuing Treatment	Hospice Care
Primary goal	Cure, slow, or control the disease	Comfort, dignity, and quality of life
Setting	Hospitals, clinics, infusion centers	Home, assisted living, or skilled nursing facility
Care team	Specialists, oncologists, and hospital staff	Hospice physician, nurse, aide, social worker, chaplain, volunteers
Coverage	Medicare Part A/B, private insurance, copays vary	Medicare Hospice Benefit, Medi-Cal, most private insurance
Length of stay	Open-ended, as long as treatment continues	Renewable in 60- to 90-day benefit periods, no time limit while eligible
Can you switch back?	Yes, treatment can pause or resume	Yes, patients can revoke hospice and return to curative care at any time
Family role	Often coordinating appointments and transport	Supported by a full team, with respite and aide visits at home

Signs It May Be Time to Talk About Hospice

There is no exact moment when hospice becomes the right choice. But families often start the conversation when they notice patterns like these:

More frequent hospitalizations or ER visits over the last few months
Significant unintended weight loss
Increasing weakness, more time in bed, less interest in eating
New or harder-to-control pain, breathing problems, or confusion
Treatments are causing more side effects than benefits
The patient says they are “tired” or “ready” or no longer want more hospital trips
The doctor uses phrases like “we are running out of options” or “it may be time to focus on comfort.”

If two or three of these feel familiar, it is reasonable to ask your physician about a hospice evaluation. Asking is not committing. It just opens the door.

How Families Typically Work Through This Decision

Most families don’t make this choice in one conversation. They move through it in stages:

Notice the pattern. Someone in the family senses things are changing. They start reading, asking questions, or talking quietly with another family member.
Talk with the medical team. Ask the physician honestly: “If things continue on this path, what does the next few months likely look like?”
Talk with the patient. Ask what they want. Many families discover that their loved one has already been thinking about this and is relieved to be asked.
Bring in a hospice team for an evaluation. A hospice intake nurse can come to your home and explain what hospice would look like for your specific situation. This is a conversation, not a commitment.
Decide together. Whether the decision is hospice now or continuing treatment with a clearer plan, the family moves forward with one shared understanding instead of fear of the unknown.

What to Ask Your Loved One’s Doctor

Bring this short list to the next appointment. Honest answers from the medical team make the decision much clearer.

What is the realistic outlook over the next six to twelve months?
Is the current treatment still helping more than it is hurting?
What symptoms are most likely to come up next, and how would we manage them?
What would change in our day-to-day life if we moved to comfort-focused care?

You do not need to have an answer at the appointment. You just need information.

How Journey Hospice Supports Families in Burbank and Los Angeles County

At Journey Hospice, our team helps families in Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, North Hollywood, and across Los Angeles County think through this decision without pressure. We can come to your home for a no-obligation conversation, walk you through what hospice care would look like for your specific situation, and coordinate directly with your loved one’s physician.

You don’t have to choose today. You just have to start the conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my loved one keep their current doctor in hospice? Yes. Your loved one’s attending physician can continue to be part of the care plan and work with the hospice medical director on decisions.
How long can someone stay in hospice? There is no maximum length. Patients can stay on hospice as long as they continue to meet eligibility criteria, which the hospice team reviews regularly.
Does choosing hospice mean stopping all medications? No. Hospice maintains medications that support comfort and quality of life. Decisions about other medications are made with the patient, family, and physicians, focused on what helps and what no longer does.

Talk Through the Decision With Our Care Team

If your family is weighing hospice and continuing treatment for someone you love in Burbank or Los Angeles County, our team at Journey Hospice is here to help you think it through. A short conversation can bring real clarity, and there is no commitment to start.

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

What to Expect From a Hospice Home Health Aide Visit

May 18, 2026 by Journey Palliative and Hospice

A hospice home health aide visits your loved one’s home to provide personal care, comfort, and gentle observation. Typical visits include bathing, grooming, light positioning, skin checks, and supportive companionship. Visits are part of the Medicare Hospice Benefit, scheduled around your family’s needs, and coordinated with the rest of the hospice care team.

If a hospice home health aide is about to begin visiting your loved one, you may be wondering what actually happens during that hour. You want your family member to feel safe and comfortable. You want to know what the aide will do, what they won’t do, and how to make the most of every visit.

This guide walks you through it, step by step, in plain language. You can read it before your first visit or share it with another family member who is helping with care.

What a Hospice Home Health Aide Does

A hospice home health aide (sometimes called a hospice aide or HHA) is a trained caregiver who supports your loved one’s daily comfort and hygiene at home. Under the Medicare Hospice Benefit, aide services are part of your covered care and are coordinated by a registered nurse case manager.

Hospice aides focus on:

Personal care: bathing, grooming, shampooing, oral care, shaving, nail care, and skin care.
Mobility and positioning: helping your loved one move safely from bed to a chair, and repositioning to prevent skin breakdown.
Toileting support: helping with incontinence care, changing briefs, or using a bedside commode.
Comfort tasks: changing bed linens, light tidying of the care area, and helping with simple feeding if needed.
Observation: noticing changes in skin, appetite, alertness, or breathing and reporting them to the nurse.

The aide is not there to diagnose or treat illness. Their job is to protect your loved one’s dignity, ease daily care, and give you a little breathing room.

What to Expect During a Typical Visit

Most visits follow a calm, predictable rhythm. Aides usually stay 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the care plan and your loved one’s condition.

Arrival and Check-In. The aide will greet you, wash their hands, and quickly review the care plan written by the hospice nurse. They will ask how your loved one slept, whether there was any new discomfort, and what you’d like prioritized that day.
Personal Care.
This is the heart of the visit. Depending on the plan, the aide may:
- Give a bed bath or assist with a shower
- Help with hair, mouth, and nail care
- Apply lotion to dry skin and check for redness or pressure spots
- Change clothing, bed linens, and incontinence products
- Reposition your loved one to ease pressure on the back, hips, or heels
Observation and Reporting. While caring for your loved one, the aide is also watching closely. They look for:
- New skin changes or bruising
- Changes in breathing, alertness, or color
- Signs of pain or restlessness
- Mood changes or anxiety
  
  Anything notable is reported to the hospice nurse, who may adjust medications or coordinate with the physician.
Closing the Visit. Before leaving, the aide tidies the care area, makes sure your loved one is comfortable and safe, and updates you on what was done. They will confirm the next visit and answer any questions you have.

What a Hospice Aide Does Not Do

Setting expectations clearly helps the whole care team work better together. A hospice home health aide does not:

Administer medications (the nurse manages medication; family caregivers give scheduled doses)
Perform sterile wound care or change clinical dressings
Provide 24-hour or live-in care
Drive your loved one to appointments
Handle housekeeping outside the patient’s immediate care area
Replace the role of a family caregiver or full-time in-home caregiver

If your loved one needs more hands-on help between visits, your hospice team can talk through options like in-home caregiving, respite care, or short-term inpatient support.

Coverage Under the Medicare Hospice Benefit

Home health aide visits are covered under the Medicare Hospice Benefit when your loved one is enrolled in hospice care and the aide visits are listed in the plan of care. According to CMS, hospice aide services are provided as needed to support personal care related to the terminal illness, with no separate cost to the patient or family beyond standard hospice copays where applicable.

If you have questions about coverage, eligibility, or how aide visits are scheduled, your hospice intake team can walk you through it.

Support for Families in Burbank and Los Angeles County

If your loved one is receiving hospice care in Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, North Hollywood, or surrounding Los Angeles County communities, our hospice aides are trained to provide gentle, respectful personal care in your home. Many family caregivers tell us that the steady rhythm of aide visits is what allows them to rest, eat a meal in peace, or sit beside their loved one without a checklist running in the background.

You don’t have to do this alone. Aide visits are not just about hygiene. They are about giving your loved one comfort and giving you a little room to breathe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the same hospice aide come every time? We try to keep the same aide assigned to your loved one whenever possible, so trust and routine can build. If your regular aide is unavailable, a familiar backup will step in.
Can the aide visit at a specific time of day? Yes, scheduling is built around your family. Many families prefer morning visits for bathing and grooming. Talk with your nurse case manager about what works best.
What should we have ready before the visit? Towels, a clean change of clothes, fresh linens, and any preferred soap or lotion. Your nurse will let you know if anything else is needed.
Can the aide help with emotional support? The aide brings a calm, kind presence, and many families find that meaningful. For deeper emotional support, your hospice social worker, chaplain, and bereavement team are also part of the plan. You can read more in Bereavement Counseling vs. Therapy: Which One Do You Need?

Compassionate Home Health Aide Services in Burbank and Los Angeles County

At Journey Hospice, our home health aide team is trained to bring gentle, respectful care into your home, so your loved one feels comfortable, and your family has room to breathe. Call us at (818) 748-3427 or request a consultation online.

From bathing and grooming to skin care and steady companionship, every visit is built around dignity, comfort, and the rhythm of your family’s day. If you’d like to learn how hospice aide visits could support your loved one in Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, or anywhere in Los Angeles County, we’re here when you’re ready.

5 Ways Hospice Caregivers Use Their Respite Time (and Why All of Them Are Valid)

April 27, 2026 by Journey Palliative and Hospice

Hospice respite care exists because caregiving is one of the most demanding things a person can do. Under Medicare, the hospice benefit includes up to five consecutive days of inpatient care for your loved one. Not because something is wrong, but specifically so you can step away and take care of yourself.

What you do with that time is entirely up to you. There is no approved list. There is no right answer. Whether you spend those days sleeping, traveling, crying, laughing, or simply sitting in a quiet house, it counts. You do not need to justify it to anyone.

If you are not yet familiar with how respite care works as part of the hospice benefit, or whether your family qualifies, that is a good place to start before reading on.

Why Caregivers Hesitate to Use Respite Time

Many caregivers request respite care and then spend the first day or two feeling guilty about it. They wonder if they should be doing something more productive, or whether enjoying themselves while their loved one is in a facility makes them a bad person. It does not.

Caregiver burnout is a real and well-documented consequence of sustained caregiving without adequate rest. When a caregiver is depleted, exhausted, or emotionally overwhelmed, the quality of care they can give is affected too. Respite care is not a luxury. It is a recognized part of the hospice care model because rest makes you a better caregiver, not a selfish one.

Rest – Fully and Without Apology. The most common thing caregivers do during respite time is sleep. Not a nap between phone calls. Not a few hours before the next medication schedule. Real, uninterrupted sleep, for as many hours as their body needs. If this sounds like not enough of a reason to use five days of covered inpatient care, it is worth recognizing what sleep deprivation actually does to a person. Chronic caregiving without rest affects memory, emotional regulation, physical health, and decision-making. Recovering even a portion of that deficit can make a significant difference in how present and capable you feel when you return. Resting is productive. Sleeping is valid. Doing nothing at all for a few days is a reasonable response to months or years of sustained caregiving.
Attend to Your Own Health. When you are focused entirely on someone else’s care, your own tends to get postponed indefinitely. Dental appointments, primary care visits, therapy sessions, specialist follow-ups many caregivers put all of these off for months because there simply is not room in the schedule. Respite time is an opportunity to close that gap, even partially. Booking a few medical or mental health appointments during your respite days is not a distraction from caregiving. It is an investment in your ability to keep going. If you have been managing your own health needs on autopilot while coordinating in-home caregiving, a home health aide schedule, medication deliveries, and family communication, you have likely been running on empty longer than you realize. Take the appointment. Go to therapy. Get the bloodwork done.
Handle the Life Obligations That Have Been Piling Up. Most caregivers have a mental list of things they have been meaning to do for weeks bills, paperwork, home repairs, a car that needs service, a legal matter that keeps getting pushed back. These things do not disappear because caregiving is hard. They accumulate quietly and add to the overall weight of the situation. Using respite days to work through that list is a completely reasonable choice. Clearing even a few of those obligations can reduce background stress in a way that is hard to measure but easy to feel. For a closer look at what day-to-day care under hospice involves, our post Gentle Daily Routines for Comfort at the End of Life Stage is a helpful read.
Be Present for Other People in Your Life. One of the quieter costs of intensive caregiving is what it takes from other relationships. Spouses, children, close friends, and siblings often absorb the ripple effects of a caregiver’s attention being almost entirely directed toward one person. This is not a failure. It is simply what happens when someone steps up to do something hard. Respite time creates space to reconnect, to attend a child’s school event, spend a day with a sibling, go on a long-overdue date, or simply be in the same room with someone you love without being half-present. Some caregivers use this time to attend a wedding, a graduation, or another life event they had resigned themselves to missing. Under the Medicare hospice benefit, this is exactly the kind of use respite care was designed to support.
Travel, Decompress, or Simply Change the Scenery. Getting out of the house, out of the routine, and out of the immediate emotional weight of the caregiving environment can be genuinely restorative in a way that rest alone sometimes is not. This does not need to be a trip to another country. It might be a night or two at a hotel nearby, a drive up the coast, a visit to a friend in another city, or a few days at a place that feels like a breath of fresh air. The distance, even if brief and modest, can offer perspective and emotional relief that is difficult to access when you are physically surrounded by the same space every day.

Your Loved One Is in Good Hands

One of the things that makes respite time genuinely restful is knowing your loved one is being cared for by a team you trust. During a respite stay, your loved one is in a Medicare-approved inpatient facility with clinical staff available around the clock. Their comfort, safety, and dignity remain the priority throughout the stay.

The hospice team coordinates the transition so that care continues without interruption. When you return, the in-home caregiving schedule picks back up according to the existing plan.

To understand more about who is caring for your loved one throughout the hospice journey, read Your Interdisciplinary Team Explained: What Each Clinician Does.

Ready to Learn More About Respite Care?

If you are caring for a loved one on hospice in the Burbank or Los Angeles area and want to know whether respite care is available to your family, the team at Journey Palliative and Hospice is here to help.

Visit our What to Expect page to learn more about how care is structured, or contact us directly to speak with a care coordinator at (818) 748-3427.

You have been showing up every day. It is okay to take a few days for yourself.

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Serine K.

2 days 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.

4 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.

5 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

6 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.

8 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 .