Also Known As:
SNF, nursing home, nursing facility, long-term care facility
Type:
Licensed long-term care facility providing 24-hour nursing
Primary Purpose:
To provide 24-hour skilled nursing care for patients who cannot safely live at home, and to serve as the patient’s residence while hospice services are delivered.
When It Applies:
When a patient cannot be safely cared for at home due to mobility, family availability, or complex medical needs.
Who Is Involved:
SNF nursing staff, the hospice team (which visits the patient in the SNF), the family, and the patient’s physician.
Where It Occurs:
A licensed skilled nursing facility, which becomes the patient’s primary residence for purposes of the hospice benefit.
Duration:
For as long as the patient remains in the SNF and on hospice.
Coverage:
Hospice services in an SNF are covered by Medicare. SNF room and board is typically paid by Medicaid (for eligible patients) or private pay.
Key Focus:
Coordinated care between the SNF nursing team and the hospice interdisciplinary team.
Common Misunderstanding:
A patient living in a skilled nursing facility is still eligible for the Medicare Hospice Benefit. The SNF becomes their home for purposes of the benefit.
How Hospice Works Inside an SNF
For patients living in a skilled nursing facility, hospice is delivered on top of the existing SNF care. The Lifted team visits the facility on a regular schedule, RN case manager, aide, social worker, chaplain, exactly the same way we would visit a home.
The SNF nursing team handles 24-hour care needs and shares notes with the hospice team. The two teams coordinate closely on medications, symptoms, and changes in condition.
Who Pays for What
Payment for SNF-based hospice splits into two streams:
- Hospice services (visits, medications, equipment related to terminal diagnosis, social work, chaplain, bereavement), paid by Medicare or another payer through the hospice benefit
- SNF room and board, paid by Medicaid (for eligible patients), long-term care insurance, or private pay
Lifted’s intake team helps families understand both streams during the verification process.
Lifted’s SNF Partnerships
Lifted partners with skilled nursing facilities across DFW, San Antonio, and Austin. Our Community Liaisons (HLS) are embedded with these facilities, providing bingo, music programs, veterans pinning ceremonies, and volunteer hours, so the team is already a familiar, trusted presence when a resident is referred to hospice. Read about how we partner with facilities.