Also Known As:
Hospice evaluation, hospice consultation, pre-admission assessment, eligibility assessment
Type:
Clinical eligibility review and family conversation
Primary Purpose:
To give the patient, family, and physician a clear, honest picture of the patient’s condition and whether hospice care is appropriate now.
When It Applies:
Before formal admission, often the same day or the day after a referral is made.
Who Is Involved:
A hospice intake nurse, the patient (when able), the family’s primary decision-maker, and sometimes a referring physician or social worker.
Where It Occurs:
At the patient’s home, in a facility, at the hospital bedside, or by phone when the family is out of state.
Duration:
Typically 45–90 minutes.
Coverage:
There is no charge for a hospice assessment, whether or not the patient ultimately enrolls in hospice.
Key Focus:
Reviewing diagnosis, recent decline, current medications, symptoms, and the family’s questions to confirm a prognosis of six months or less.
Common Misunderstanding:
An assessment is not a commitment. Many families schedule an assessment to gather information and decide later. Some families decide hospice isn’t the right step yet, and that is a perfectly acceptable outcome.
What Happens During a Hospice Assessment
An assessment is the clinical conversation that decides whether hospice is the right fit right now. A Lifted nurse meets with your loved one, at home, at a facility, or wherever feels easiest, and reviews the diagnosis, recent decline, current medications, pain, breathing, appetite, sleep, and the family’s questions.
The nurse will look for the clinical markers that support a six-month prognosis under Medicare guidelines: weight loss, functional decline, recurrent infections, dependency in daily activities, and disease-specific indicators. Everything is documented for the admitting physician and the family.
What You Should Bring to the Visit
You don’t need to prepare much, but a few things make the assessment more efficient:
- A current medication list (prescriptions, over-the-counter, and supplements)
- Recent hospital discharge papers or specialist notes, if available
- Any advance directives, living will, or DNR paperwork the patient has signed
- The names and contact details of the primary physician and any specialists
- A second family member or trusted friend, if possible, so two people hear the same information
After the Assessment
If hospice is the right step, admission can begin within a day or two, sometimes the same day. If it isn’t, we’ll tell you that, too, and point you toward what is: home health, palliative care, or a different kind of support.
The goal isn’t to push anyone into a decision. It’s to give your family and physician a clear, honest picture of what’s happening. Read our guide on how to choose a hospice if you’re weighing options.
You leave the assessment with answers, not just paperwork.