Also Known As:
RHC, Level 1 hospice care, in-home hospice care, the standard level of hospice care
Type:
Most common level of hospice care, one of the four levels of hospice care
Primary Purpose:
To provide regular, scheduled hospice team visits at the patient’s primary residence, managing symptoms and personal care while the patient stays home.
When It Applies:
From admission through end-of-life, except during periods that require continuous, inpatient, or respite care.
Who Is Involved:
RN case manager, hospice aide, social worker, chaplain, medical director, and volunteers.
Where It Occurs:
Wherever the patient calls home, house, apartment, assisted-living, memory-care, or skilled nursing facility.
Duration:
For the entire hospice stay, except when escalated to another level.
Coverage:
100% covered by the Medicare Hospice Benefit, Medicaid, and most private insurance.
Key Focus:
Pain and symptom management, personal care, family education, spiritual and emotional support, and a steady presence.
Common Misunderstanding:
Routine home care doesn’t mean the hospice team only comes occasionally. Lifted intentionally visits more often than the Medicare minimum because what ‘routine’ means in practice depends on what the patient needs.
What Routine Home Care Includes
Routine home care is the foundation of hospice. For most patients, it is the only level of care they will ever need. A typical schedule includes:
- RN case manager visits 2 or more times per week (more during decline)
- Hospice aide visits 2–5 times per week for bathing and personal care
- Social worker as needed
- Chaplain as desired
- Volunteer visits as wanted
- 24/7 nurse phone line for any change or concern
- All medications and equipment delivered to the home
Why Lifted Goes Above the Minimum
Medicare requires only one nursing visit every 14 days under routine home care. That is the floor, and it is too low for most patients. At Lifted, RN visits are typically 2 or more per week, with aide visits scheduled according to actual personal-care needs.
The above-minimum standard is built into how Lifted hires and staffs. It is not an upsell, it is the baseline.
When Routine Care Isn’t Enough
If symptoms escalate beyond what routine visits can control, the team escalates to continuous home care or general inpatient care. If the family caregiver is exhausted, the team can arrange respite care. Patients move between levels as their needs change, without ever changing hospice providers. Read more about the four levels.