The first week sets the rhythm for care. You do not have to figure this out alone. This guide walks you through the first seven days after enrollment in Hospice in the Dallas area, so you know who comes, what gets delivered, and how your care plan begins to bring calm.
What “Starting Hospice” Really Means
When you begin hospice, your care focuses on comfort and quality of life. For Medicare beneficiaries, hospice can be provided at home, in assisted living, a nursing facility, or an inpatient hospice unit when needed. Hospice includes medical care, medications for symptom control, durable medical equipment, and supplies related to the terminal illness. You also receive support from nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains, and a physician or nurse practitioner.
Before Day 1: The Referral and Consent
A referral can come from a hospital, clinic, or your primary doctor. You or your representative review and sign the hospice election forms. Your first benefit period begins the day hospice care starts. If you live longer than six months, hospice can continue with recertification.
Day 1: Welcome Visit and Safety Check
What to expect:
- A hospice nurse meets you where you live. The nurse completes an initial assessment, reviews your medications, checks vital signs, and asks about symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, nausea, or anxiety.
- You help set goals. For example, you might want better sleep, less pain with movement, or enough energy to visit with family.
- You receive the 24/7 phone number. You can call at any hour if symptoms change or if you are unsure about something. A nurse will guide you by phone and can visit if needed.
Equipment delivery
Durable medical equipment arrives based on your plan. This can include a hospital bed, oxygen, bedside commode, or wheelchair. The delivery team shows you how to use each item safely.
Medicare covers medical equipment related to the terminal illness under the hospice benefit. Room and board in a facility are not typically covered.
Your calm step: Keep all current medications nearby. Place important documents, advance directives, and emergency contacts in one folder. Discover more tips and what to expect when starting hospice care in Dallas.
Day 2: Aide Support and Your Personal Plan of Care & Routines
What to expect:
- A hospice aide visits to help with bathing, grooming, and light personal care. The aide can also show caregivers safe techniques for transfers and skin care.
- The nurse checks your response to any new medications and adjusts the plan if needed.
- The interdisciplinary team, often called the IDG, creates a written plan that covers medical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. It includes visit frequencies, medication changes, and equipment requests.
- If you take medications that are no longer helpful for comfort, the nurse may suggest changes. If new comfort medications are needed, the nurse explains what they do and when to take them.
Supply delivery
Basic supplies like briefs, underpads, and skincare items begin to arrive on a set schedule.
Your calm step: Keep a small “comfort caddy” by the bed with lip balm, lotion, tissues, a favorite blanket, and the symptom relief medications your nurse reviewed. Post your medication schedule on the fridge. Use a simple checklist for morning, afternoon, evening, and bedtime.
Day 3: Spiritual Care and Meaning-Making
What to expect:
- A chaplain, if you wish, visits to support your beliefs and values. Spiritual care is about aligning care with what matters most to you.
- If you prefer, your own faith leader can coordinate with the hospice chaplain.
Your calm step: Share a favorite story, song, or memory. Invite family to record or write these memories if you feel comfortable.
Day 4: Continued Aide Support, Check-In and Comfort Kit
What to expect:
A hospice nurse practitioner or physician checks how you are doing since admission, reviews medications, and answers questions about side effects and dosing. They confirm which
Many programs provide a small “comfort kit,” sometimes called an emergency kit, with a few as-needed medications for common symptoms such as pain, anxiety, nausea, or shortness of breath. Your nurse explains what each item is for and exactly when to use it. Only use items from the kit under direction from your hospice nurse or provider.
Your calm step: Keep a one-page “When to Call” list near the bed with clear thresholds, such as pain above 6 out of 10, new trouble breathing, or repeated vomiting. Store the comfort kit in one labeled container and log any as-needed doses so your team can fine-tune the plan.
Day 5: Social Work and Practical Peace of Mind
What to expect:
- A social worker visits to help with practical concerns. This may include advance directives, caregiver resources, veteran support, or planning for time off for family caregivers.
- If you are a veteran, ask about veteran-specific honors and benefits.
Write a short list of three practical tasks that would help most, such as arranging meal support, organizing transportation, or coordinating family time.
Day 6: Volunteer Support and Respite Options
What to expect:
You may meet a volunteer coordinator to discuss companionship visits, brief caregiver breaks, help with life-review projects, or bedside presence during serious declines. Medicare requires hospice programs to include volunteers as part of care.
Your team also reviews short-term respite care. This is a Medicare-covered option that allows a brief stay in an approved facility so primary caregivers can rest, typically up to five days at a time.
Your calm step: Choose one or two tasks to delegate to a volunteer, such as reading aloud, companionship while a caregiver showers, or organizing photos.
Day 7: Look Back, Adjust, and Settle Into Rhythm
What to expect:
- Your team reviews the week. You discuss what went well and what still feels challenging.
- Visit frequencies can change. If symptoms are stable, you may see fewer visits. If symptoms rise, visits increase. There is also a higher-intensity level of care for short periods when symptoms are not controlled at home. Your nurse explains when that is appropriate.
Keep using the 24/7 number. Many problems can be solved quickly with a phone call and clear guidance.
Common Questions In Week One
Who is on my hospice team?
Physician or nurse practitioner, registered nurse, hospice aide, social worker, chaplain, and trained volunteers. Your team works from an individualized plan of care that you help shape.
What does Medicare usually cover in hospice?
For eligible patients, Medicare generally covers nursing care, medications for symptom control or pain relief, medical equipment and supplies, hospice aide services, social work, chaplain support, and grief counseling. You may owe copays for some medications. If you live in a facility, room and board are usually not covered.
How long does hospice last?
You can receive hospice in periods: two 90-day periods, then an unlimited number of 60-day periods, as long as the hospice physician recertifies eligibility. Many people continue beyond six months when appropriate.
Can I keep my personal doctor?
Yes. Your attending physician can remain involved and collaborate with the hospice team on your plan of care.
What if symptoms get worse suddenly?
Call the 24/7 number. Your nurse can visit, adjust medications, or arrange a higher level of care for short-term symptom management if needed.
How To Prepare Your Home in Dallas County
- Choose a calm space with good lighting and room for equipment.
- Post emergency contacts and the hospice number by the main phone.
- Keep an updated medication list in one place.
- Make simple plans for meals and hydration. Ask your social worker about community resources if needed.
- If you live in Tarrant or Collin County, let your team know about any gate codes, facility rules, or parking details that affect visit timing.
Call our Hospice Care Team in Dallas County
Speak with our compassionate hospice team about starting hospice or a same-day evaluation when appropriate. Call (469) 625-0705 or send us a message through our contact form here. Homage Hospice cares for patients across Dallas County, and we also
