Hospice care in assisted living & memory care: Palm Desert and the greater Coachella Valley
Most families want a loved one to stay home, with familiar faces, through the end of life. Here’s how hospice works in California assisted living.
What hospice is
Comfort-focused care for a serious illness, usually when life expectancy is six months or less. A hospice agency’s team visits the person where they live and is on call 24/7.
How it works in assisted living
- The family’s chosen hospice agency provides the hospice care.
- Community caregivers keep helping with meals, bathing and dressing.
- The community needs a state hospice care waiver (22 CCR §§ 87632–87633).
Hospice at Catalina Gardens
We are not a hospice. We plan to request the hospice care waiver so residents can stay home through the end of life, subject to state approval. Our license is pending; we aim to open in early 2027.
What Medicare covers
Medicare Part A covers hospice visits, medicines and equipment. It does not cover room and board, so assisted living costs continue.
Choosing a hospice agency
Compare local agencies on Medicare Care Compare. Ask each:
- How fast can a nurse come at night or on weekends?
- How often will the nurse and aide visit?
- What support do you offer the family?
Common questions
Can a resident on hospice stay in assisted living in California?
Yes, when the community holds a state hospice care waiver. The hospice agency provides hospice care; community caregivers keep helping day to day.
Does Catalina Gardens provide hospice?
No. We plan to request the state’s hospice care waiver so residents can receive hospice in place from the agency their family chooses, subject to state approval.
Does Medicare pay for hospice in assisted living?
Medicare Part A covers the hospice care itself, but not room and board, so monthly assisted living costs continue.
General information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Sources: Medicare.gov: hospice care; 22 CCR § 87632, Hospice Care Waiver; 22 CCR § 87633.