Choosing hospice is a loving decision. Understanding the four hospice levels of care helps you feel confident day to day and prepared during a crisis. This guide explains Routine Home Care, Continuous Home Care, General Inpatient Care, and Respite Care in clear language. It also shows how you can move between levels based on your goals and symptoms while staying centered on comfort at home in Burbank, Los Angeles County, and nearby communities.
Why The Hospice Levels of Care Exist
The Medicare hospice benefit was designed to meet you where you live. It gives your care team flexible ways to manage symptoms, reduce distress, and support your family. Each level has a specific purpose.
- Routine Home Care supports you at home or in a facility with scheduled visits.
- Continuous Home Care provides time-limited, intensive nursing at home during a crisis.
- General Inpatient Care (GIP) offers short-term stabilization in a contracted hospital or inpatient unit.
- Respite Care gives your caregiver a short break while you receive care in a facility.
Routine Home Care: steady support where you live
Routine Home Care is the most common level. Most days are routine, even when you are living with a serious illness. Your hospice team makes those days safer and more comfortable.
What to expect
- Regular nurse visits to assess comfort and adjust medications
- Hospice aide help with bathing, grooming, and skin care
- Education for you and your caregiver on comfort techniques
- Social work and chaplain support for emotional and spiritual needs
- Delivery of needed medical equipment and supplies at home
- Telephone support 24 hours a day if symptoms change
When it fits
- Pain and other symptoms are generally controlled
- You prefer to be at home or remain in your current residence
- You want a predictable rhythm of visits and guidance
Continuous Home Care: intensive help during a crisis at home
There are times when symptoms suddenly become severe. Continuous Home Care is designed for those short periods when routine visits are not enough. Nurses and hospice aides provide focused, extended attention at home within a 24 hour period to stabilize distress.
What to expect
- Frequent nursing presence to monitor and treat severe symptoms
- Rapid medication adjustments to control pain, anxiety, or breathlessness
- Teaching for family members to keep you safe and comfortable
- Step-down back to Routine Home Care once symptoms improve
When it fits
- Severe, uncontrolled pain
- Labored breathing or repeated panic from shortness of breath
- Uncontrolled nausea or vomiting
- Intense restlessness or agitation
How it helps families
- You remain in familiar surroundings
- The team brings the tools and a calm presence to steady a difficult night
- You avoid unnecessary emergency room trips when home support is appropriate
General Inpatient Care (GIP): short-term stabilization in a hospital or inpatient unit
Sometimes the safest and fastest way to regain comfort is a short inpatient stay. GIP provides continuous nursing and rapid medication adjustments in a contracted hospital, skilled nursing facility, or hospice inpatient unit.
What to expect
- Around-the-clock nursing with immediate access to symptom treatments
- Physician oversight focused on stabilization
- Ongoing social work and chaplain visits for you and your family
- A plan to return home as soon as symptoms are controlled
When it fits
- Pain remains severe despite intensive support at home
- Complex symptom clusters need IV medications or continuous monitoring
- Safety concerns make home care temporarily risky
Reassurance for you
- GIP is not permanent
- Your hospice team remains involved
- The goal is a safe and timely return to your preferred setting
Natural keyword variations
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Respite Care: a needed breather for family caregivers
Caregiving can be deeply meaningful and very tiring. Respite Care provides a brief stay in a contracted facility so your primary caregiver can rest, recover, or attend an important event. You continue receiving hospice support during the stay, usually up to five days.
What to expect
- A comfortable room, attentive nursing, and symptom monitoring
- Continued communication with your hospice team
- A smooth return home with Routine Home Care afterwards
When it fits
- Your caregiver is exhausted and needs sleep to stay healthy
- Your family has travel or medical appointments
- Everyone would benefit from a short reset
How Levels Change in Real Life: Three Quick Stories
- Breathlessness at night
You are on Routine Home Care and begin to feel panicked by shortness of breath. Your caregiver calls the hospice nurse. The team arrives, starts Continuous Home Care, and adjusts medications. You sleep more easily. By morning, you transition back to Routine Home Care. - Severe pain that needs more than home support
Despite several home visits, your pain remains high. The team recommends a short GIP stay. With IV medication and close monitoring, your pain eases within two days. You return home with a revised plan that keeps you comfortable. - Caregiver recovery time
Your daughter has supported you for months and feels drained. You both agree on a three day Respite Care stay. She rests and you receive attentive care. You come home feeling steady and connected.
What Families Ask Most
- Will I lose my hospice team if I go to GIP or Respite?
No. The level and location may change, but your hospice team remains your team. - Is Continuous Home Care the same as 24 hour private duty care?
No. Continuous Home Care is time-limited crisis support within the hospice benefit. If you want ongoing private caregivers, your social worker can share trusted options. - Who decides to change levels of care?
You and your family decide in partnership with the hospice nurse and physician. The decision is guided by your goals, safety, and clinical needs. - Does Medicare cover these levels?
Yes. The four hospice levels are part of the Medicare hospice benefit (opens in a new tab). Your team will review your specific coverage.
Preparing Your Home and Your Plan
Home readiness checklist
- Make space for needed equipment such as a hospital bed, oxygen, or a commode
- Keep a comfort kit at home as ordered by the hospice physician
- Post emergency contacts on the refrigerator for quick reference
- Confirm how to reach the on-call nurse after hours
Caregiver confidence
- Ask for hands-on teaching for bathing, safe transfers, and preventing skin breakdown
- Save printed instructions for common symptoms like pain, constipation, and anxiety
- Review early signs that suggest a change in level of care may help
Emotional and spiritual support
- Share fears, questions, and hopes with your team
- Invite chaplain and social work support for the whole family
- Plan regular check-ins so no one carries the load alone
Local Guidance for Burbank and Los Angeles County
If you live in Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Clarita, Long Beach, or anywhere in Los Angeles County, our team can coordinate equipment delivery, pharmacy support, and first 24 hour planning. We admit seven days a week when eligibility is confirmed. We also collaborate with hospitals and skilled nursing facilities so transitions to GIP or Respite happen smoothly when needed.
Helpful internal resources
- Learn how hospice care works day to day:
- See each level summarized for quick reference:
- Know the signs that it may be time to call:
Hospice Care in Burbank and Los Angeles County: Call for Guidance Today
If you need clear guidance about hospice levels of care in Burbank, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, Riverside County, or Kern County, our team is here to support you. Call (818) 748-3427 to speak with a compassionate professional who will listen first, explain your options, and help you plan the next right step today.
