About Hospice Care Centers
Hospice agencies may choose to add a hospice care center to their license. A hospice care center cannot be licensed independently of a hospice agency. Hospice care centers offer hospice services in a facility that strives to provide a non-institutional, home-like environment.
- Continuous care for a minimum of eight hours a day of one-to-one services with assessment and supervision by a registered nurse.
- General inpatient care where a registered nurse is on site 24 hours a day for assessment and supervision.
- Inpatient respite care for patients whose caregiver requires short-term relief of caregiving duties.
- Routine home care as the core level of services not listed above.
The Department of Health licenses hospice care centers to ensure care is provided within health and safety standards established by statute and rule. Hospice care centers must also meet applicable building codes. The department enforces the standards by periodically conducting unannounced on-site surveys of these centers.
Hospice care centers are required to be approved by the department's Certificate of Need program. Once approved, Medicare-certified hospice agencies will add the hospice care center to their certification.