Home health vs. hospice: what’s the difference?
Home health helps you recover or keeps your health from getting worse. You keep getting treatment for your illness. Hospice is comfort care for an illness that cannot be cured. You choose it when you stop treatment meant to cure the illness.
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Side by side
| Home health | Hospice | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Recover, or keep your health from getting worse | Comfort and the best quality of life you can have |
| Who it is for | People who are homebound and need skilled care | People whose doctor expects 6 months or less to live if the illness runs its usual course |
| Treatment for your illness | You keep getting it | You stop treatment meant to cure the illness. Care for pain and symptoms goes on. |
| Must you be homebound? | Yes | No |
| Where | In your home | Most often at home. Also in a nursing home or hospice facility. |
| Who comes | Nurses, therapists, aides, and social workers | A hospice team: doctors, nurses, aides, social workers, and counselors |
| What you pay | $0 for covered visits | $0 for covered care. Up to $5 for each prescription for pain and symptoms. |
| How long | 60-day periods. Your doctor can renew them while you qualify. | Two 90-day periods, then 60-day periods. A doctor must renew them. |
Sources: Medicare.gov: Home health services and Medicare.gov: Hospice care.
What home health is
Home health is skilled care from nurses and therapists at home. Your doctor orders it. Each visit has a goal, like healing a wound, managing your medicines, or walking safely.
You can keep seeing your doctors and getting treatment. Learn more in does Medicare cover home health care?
What hospice is
Hospice is care for people near the end of life. The goal is comfort, not a cure. To get hospice under Medicare:
- Your hospice doctor and your regular doctor say you are terminally ill. This means you are expected to live 6 months or less.
- You accept comfort care instead of care to cure your illness.
- You sign a form choosing hospice.
Hospice also supports your family. This can include short breaks for caregivers, called respite care.
You can change your mind
Choosing hospice is not final. You can stop hospice care at any time and go back to your regular Medicare coverage. You can choose hospice again later if you qualify.
Source: Medicare.gov: Hospice care.
Which one fits?
Talk with your doctor. These questions can help:
- What is the goal of my care right now?
- Is more treatment likely to help me?
- What would hospice add for me and my family?
- What would change if I wait?
You can ask about hospice early. Asking does not mean you have to choose it.
Where we fit
Adaptive Home Health gives home health care. We do not give hospice care.
If you and your doctor choose hospice, tell your home health team. Your doctor refers you to a hospice you choose. Questions? Call us at 214-440-1394 (Texas), 303-597-0505 (Colorado), 248-607-6698 (Michigan), or 702-450-1855 (Nevada).
Related pages
Questions? Call us.
We can answer questions about home health, Medicare, and your insurance, before or during care.
General information, not medical advice. Follow your care team’s instructions. How we write and review.