Hospice care in Worcester County, Massachusetts

What is hospice care?

Hospice is comfort-focused care for someone with a life expectancy of six months or less who has chosen to stop curative treatment for that illness, delivered by a team of nurses, aides, social workers and chaplains wherever the person lives.

Medicare's hospice benefit covers the team, related drugs and equipment, and short respite and inpatient care. It does not pay room and board.

How many hospices serve Worcester County?

CMS lists 12 Medicare-certified hospices with offices in Worcester County, in Auburn, Charlton, Gardner, Leominster, Milford, Westborough and Worcester, and several hospices based outside the county also serve it.

Ask how fast a nurse responds after hours, and whether the hospice already serves residents in your parent's building.

Can hospice come to assisted living or a nursing home?

Yes: hospice serves residents of assisted living and nursing homes, and residents have the right to choose their own licensed or certified providers, including hospice.

The residence's monthly fee continues; hospice adds care, not housing.

When should a family ask about hospice?

When a doctor says the illness is likely to be life-limiting within months, after repeated hospital stays, or when treatment is causing more burden than benefit; asking early gives the family more time with the team.

A hospice evaluation is free and creates no obligation.

Does hospice mean giving up all treatment?

No: hospice stops curative treatment for the terminal illness but continues treatment for comfort, including pain and symptom control, and other conditions can still be treated.

Families often wish they had started hospice sooner. Ask the doctor directly whether hospice would help now.

How do we choose a hospice in Worcester County?

Ask each hospice how quickly a nurse can come after hours, how often aides visit, whether it serves your parent's town and residence, and what respite and inpatient options it uses; Medicare's Care Compare also publishes hospice quality data and family survey results.

You can change hospices if the first one is not working. Talk to the residence or nursing home, which will know which hospices are responsive in its building.

Where are Medicare-certified hospices located across Worcester County?

Here is how the state and CMS records distribute Medicare-certified hospices across Worcester County's cities and towns; 53 of the 60 have none with a local address.