Does starting hospice mean stopping all treatments?
Focusing on comfort doesn’t mean giving up treatments that are helping.
There’s a myth in our communities that choosing hospice care means stopping all medical treatments. This is far from the truth. Many people continue treatments like breathing support, pain medications, antibiotics, and even palliative treatments — like those associated with cancer — anything that helps them stay comfortable and supports daily living.
Beginning hospice gives patients and families time to step back and ask, “What’s working? What’s helping?” Our focus is on starting a conversation that continues as needs change over time.
Hospice isn’t about stopping everything. It’s about choosing comfort, support, and living as fully as possible every single day.
TREATMENTS THAT MAY CONTINUE WITH HOSPICE
Pain Medications
Comfort-focused pain management is central to hospice care and adjusted around the clock as symptoms change.
Breathing Support
Supplemental oxygen, BiPAP, and other respiratory support continue when they help your loved one stay comfortable.
Antibiotics for Comfort
Treatments that support comfort or basic body function — including antibiotics — may continue if they’re still helping.
Routine Medications
Most people continue routine medications that support essential body functions as long as they are well tolerated and not causing side effects.
Palliative Treatments
Some palliative treatments — sometimes associated with progressive diseases — can continue when easing symptoms without causing more harm than benefit.
Supportive Care for Quality of Life
Support to meet unique goals of care — including symptom management, nutrition, emotional and spiritual needs.
We Are Here to Help
After completing the form, a member of our Admissions and Referral team will be in contact with you. If you have not received a call back within 24 hours (or the next business day), please call 336-889-8446.
Your information is private and will only be used to connect you with our care team. We will never share your details with third parties.
Not Sure If It's Time for Hospice?
Take our short assessment to help you decide if hospice care may be right for your loved one.
Think you need hospice care?
The following questionnaire may help you decide if hospice care is the right care for you.
What Families Are Saying
Coverage for Comfort-Focused Care
Hospice care is fully covered for most patients.
The Medicare Hospice Benefit, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans cover comfort-focused treatments during hospice — including supportive medications, equipment, and palliative therapies that help maintain comfort.
Our admissions team verifies your specific coverage before care begins, so there are no surprises about what’s included.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people continue taking routine medications in hospice care, especially those that support comfort or essential body functions and are well tolerated without causing side effects. Medications that are no longer helpful may be stopped, but those decisions are made together through conversations with you and the hospice care team.
Our clinical team specializes in end-of-life symptom management – pain, shortness of breath, nausea, agitation, changes in appetite and sleep, and the emotional and spiritual symptoms families often don’t expect.
Anyone can request information about our services. After reaching out, our team will:
- Evaluate to see if hospice services might be helpful
- Coordinate with your physician
- Help you understand your care options no matter where you are in your health journey
There is no obligation to choose hospice services. Your questions will be met with compassionate support and honest answers.
Making a referral to Hospice of the Piedmont or Hospice of Randolph is simple – just call us at 336.889.8446 or fill out our referral form.
Palliative care is appropriate for someone living with a chronic or serious illness when symptom management and quality of life are important concerns, even while treatments or a cure are still being pursued. Hospice care is considered when the focus shifts fully to comfort and quality of life rather than curative treatment.
Palliative treatments are those that help ease symptoms and improve comfort. Some are associated with progressive diseases like cancer. When these interventions are helping without causing more harm than benefit, they can often continue while in hospice care.
A typical hospice care team includes a hospice provider, a registered nurse case manager, a hospice aide (CNA), a licensed social worker, a chaplain, volunteers, and a bereavement counselor – plus 24/7 on-call clinical support.
Have Questions About Continuing Treatments and Hospice?
Our team will sit down with you, review what’s currently in place, and help you understand what hospice would — and wouldn’t — change.