What care at home looks like, who provides it, what it costs, how to prepare, and what to expect in the final days, from the hospice team at Prime Choice in Houston.
Reviewed by the Prime Choice Hospice clinical team ยท Updated September 2026
End of life care at home is medical, emotional and practical support that lets a person with a terminal illness spend their final weeks or months at home instead of in a hospital. In Texas it is usually provided by a licensed hospice: nurses, aides, a social worker and a chaplain visit on a schedule, a nurse is on call 24/7, and medications, a hospital bed and other equipment are delivered to the home. For eligible patients, Medicare, Texas Medicaid and most insurance pay for it.
Under the hospice benefit, all of this comes to the home at little or no cost for the terminal illness.
A registered nurse case manager visits regularly to manage pain and symptoms and teach caregivers. Day or night, a nurse answers the phone and comes to the home if needed.
Medications for pain, breathlessness, anxiety, nausea and secretions are delivered to the home, including an emergency comfort kit so symptoms can be treated right away.
Hospital bed, pressure-relief mattress, oxygen, wheelchair, walker, bedside commode and shower chair are delivered and set up, along with incontinence and wound-care supplies.
Help with bathing, mouth and skin care, changing linens and repositioning, so family time can be about connection, not only tasks.
Help with Texas advance directives, funeral planning, finances and family conversations, plus spiritual care for any faith or none.
Up to five days of inpatient respite at a time so caregivers can rest, trained volunteers for companionship, and bereavement support for the family for up to a year.
Most people say they would prefer to die at home, and with hospice support most families are able to make that happen. Home works best when you can answer "yes" to most of these:
If the answer is "not right now," end-of-life care can still be provided in an assisted living community or nursing home. Our social worker will help you weigh the options honestly.
Every person's path is different, but these changes are common and are a natural part of the body slowing down. Knowing them ahead of time helps families stay calm. Your hospice nurse will tell you what to expect at each stage and how to keep your loved one comfortable.
Sleeping more, eating and drinking less, withdrawing from activities and conversation, growing weaker.
Confusion or restlessness, less urine, changes in body temperature, irregular breathing with pauses, seeing or talking to people who aren't there.
Cool hands and feet, bluish or mottled skin on the knees and feet, a rattling sound when breathing, long pauses between breaths, being unresponsive.
Not eating is not starving. As the body shuts down, it can no longer use food and fluids, and pushing them can cause discomfort. Moist mouth swabs, lip balm and small sips if wanted keep your loved one comfortable. Hearing is thought to be among the last senses to fade, so keep talking, reading and playing music.
The Texas Advance Directives Act (Health and Safety Code Chapter 166) recognizes these documents. None requires a lawyer; the state forms are free from Texas HHS, and our social workers help families complete them at no charge.
Still deciding between types of care? Read hospice vs palliative care, or learn more about our in-home hospice care in Houston and pain and symptom management.
For patients who qualify for hospice, Medicare Part A pays for the hospice team's visits, medications for the terminal illness, a hospital bed, oxygen and other equipment and supplies. The only costs are up to $5 per prescription and 5% of the cost of inpatient respite care. Texas Medicaid and most private insurance and VA plans provide similar hospice coverage.
Usually yes, near the end. Hospice visits on a schedule and a nurse is on call 24/7, but it does not provide a round-the-clock caregiver during routine care. Families often share shifts or hire private caregivers. During a symptom crisis, hospice can provide continuous home care, with nursing in the home for up to 24 hours a day until the crisis passes.
No. Call your hospice's 24/7 number instead. If 911 is called, paramedics are required to attempt CPR and transport to a hospital unless a Texas Out-of-Hospital DNR order is in place. Your hospice nurse will come to the home to help.
Call the hospice, not 911. There is no need to rush. The hospice nurse comes to the home, confirms the death, notifies the physician, disposes of controlled medications, and calls the funeral home you have chosen when your family is ready. Families can take the time they need to say goodbye.
It varies. Some people receive hospice care at home for many months, others for only a few days. Starting earlier gives families more time with the full support of the team, and many families tell us they wish they had called sooner.
Hospice can provide general inpatient care, a short stay in a hospital or inpatient hospice unit to get pain or other symptoms under control, and then the patient can return home. Families can also use up to five days of inpatient respite care at a time to rest.
Yes. "Home" means wherever the person lives, including assisted living communities and nursing facilities. The hospice team works alongside the facility staff.
