Settings for Hospice Settings for Hospice Hospice of Visiting Nurse Service cares for patients wherever they live. Although home is the primary setting of hospice, care can be provided to patients in retirement communities, independent and assisted living residences, nursing facilities, the Hospice Care Center, and other settings.
Most patients receive hospice care in their own homes or even the homes of relatives.
Hospice nurses visit on a regular basis, carefully monitoring and managing the patient s condition. They teach caregivers to provide comfort measures and to perform appropriate, needed treatments. Hospice nurses are also available by phone 24 hours a day for questions or emergencies. Whenever possible, symptoms are managed in the home, avoiding repeated hospitalizations. This setting often allows a person to die peacefully, in familiar surroundings, cared for by family and loved ones.