Honolulu Senior AdvisorWhat does hospice provide on Oahu?
Hospice provides comfort-focused care for people with a terminal illness and a prognosis of six months or less, with a team of nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains and volunteers who visit wherever the person lives, including at home, in a care home, foster family home, assisted living or nursing home.
Hospice manages pain and symptoms, supplies comfort medications and equipment, supports the family, and offers bereavement support afterward.
Who pays for hospice?
Medicare pays for hospice for beneficiaries with a terminal prognosis who choose comfort care, and Med-QUEST and most private insurance also cover it; hospice does not pay a care home's room and board.
A resident in a care home keeps paying the home's rate, or Med-QUEST continues to pay the care portion for eligible members, while hospice adds its team.
Can someone stay in their care home on hospice?
Yes: residents of Oahu care homes, expanded ARCHs and foster family homes often receive hospice where they live, so they can stay with a familiar care giver until the end, as long as the home agrees and can meet their needs with hospice support.
Ask the care home early whether it has worked with hospice before and how it handles night-time symptoms.
When should a family ask about hospice?
A family should ask about hospice when a serious illness is advancing despite treatment, hospital stays are becoming more frequent, or the person's priority has shifted to comfort; many families say afterwards they wish they had asked sooner.
A physician must certify a prognosis of six months or less if the illness runs its usual course, but people can stay on hospice longer if they continue to qualify, and can leave hospice to resume curative treatment.
How do we choose a hospice on Oahu?
Choose a hospice by asking how quickly a nurse can visit after hours, how often aides come, whether it serves your parent's part of the island, how it works with care homes and foster family homes, and what bereavement support it offers.
Hospices on Oahu are Medicare-certified and licensed through the state; ask each for its Medicare certification and check CMS's hospice comparison tools.
At a glance
| Hospice offers | Hospice does not offer | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Comfort and symptom control | Curative treatment |
| Place | Care wherever the person lives | Room and board |
| Team | Nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains | 24-hour bedside staff at home |
| Payment | Medicare hospice benefit | Care home fees |
Sources include Hawaii Administrative Rules chapters 11-100.1, 11-90 and 11-800, HRS 321-481 and 321-1.8, Office of Health Care Assurance rosters and pages, the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines, CMS, CareScout and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
