DUKE Hospice

About Hospice Care

Hospice is comfort-focused care for people with a prognosis of 6 months or less if the illness follows its expected course. It is fully covered by Medicare Part A with no copay — including nursing visits, medications for symptom relief, and chaplain and social-worker support. Care typically happens at home or in a nursing facility, not a hospital.

When you call: Ask about their nurse-to-patient ratio, after-hours on-call response time, whether a dedicated social worker and chaplain are assigned, and how bereavement support works for families.