Also Known As:
Hospice enrollment, hospice intake, hospice consent process, admitting to hospice
Type:
Care initiation process
Primary Purpose:
To formally begin hospice care, confirm clinical eligibility, and build the first plan of care around the patient and family.
When It Applies:
After a physician has certified a six-month or shorter prognosis and the family has chosen hospice. See hospice eligibility for the clinical criteria.
Who Is Involved:
Hospice intake nurse, admitting physician, the patient (when able), primary family decision-maker, and any chosen healthcare power of attorney. Read more about the hospice team.
Where It Occurs:
The patient’s home, an assisted-living facility, a nursing home, or a hospital bedside, Lifted comes to wherever the patient is.
Duration:
Usually 60–90 minutes for the visit. Care begins immediately after signatures.
Coverage:
100% covered by the Medicare Hospice Benefit, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans. No out-of-pocket cost to the family.
Key Focus:
Clinical review, the election form, the first plan of care, and answering every family question before the team leaves.
Common Misunderstanding:
Admission isn’t a one-way door. Patients can revoke hospice at any time and return to curative treatment if they choose.
What Admission to Hospice Actually Looks Like
Admission is the moment care shifts from chasing a cure to choosing how you want to live the time you have. In Texas, a Lifted admission usually begins within 24 to 48 hours of a physician’s referral, sooner in urgent situations. A nurse comes to you, reviews the medical history, talks with your loved one and family, and walks you through the paperwork at your pace.
The visit covers three things: confirming clinical eligibility, signing the election form, and building the first plan of care. By the time the nurse leaves, you’ll know who is coming back, when, and what to do if something changes overnight.
Who Can Refer a Patient to Hospice
Anyone can start the conversation, a family member, a physician, a hospital discharge planner, or a facility manager. A physician must certify the six-month prognosis, but the family doesn’t need to wait for the hospital to make the introduction.
If you are in DFW, San Antonio, Austin, or surrounding Texas communities, you can start care directly or call (972) 777-3000 to begin. Bilingual Spanish-speaking nurses are available for families who prefer it, see bilingual hospice care.
What Families Often Worry About at Admission
The two questions we hear most: Are we doing this too soon? and What if mom changes her mind?
Hospice doesn’t accelerate anything. It surrounds the patient with comfort, presence, and dignity, and your loved one can revoke hospice at any time to return to curative treatment. The election form is reversible. The relationship is not transactional.
You don’t have to be sure of everything before that first visit. You only need to be open to asking. Contact our team when you’re ready.