Hospice Care Services Available in San Mateo
Hospice care is a Medicare benefit available to patients with a serious illness and a physician-certified prognosis of six months or less, when the primary goal of care shifts from curative treatment to comfort and quality of life. Under the Medicare Hospice Benefit, eligible patients receive a comprehensive range of services at no out-of-pocket cost.
Covered services include:
- Skilled nursing visits on a regularly scheduled basis, with 24/7 on-call nursing available by phone at all hours
- Physician oversight from our Medical Director throughout the full course of care
- Medications for symptom and comfort management related to the hospice diagnosis
- Medical equipment and supplies delivered directly to your door — hospital beds, oxygen, wheelchairs, commodes, and more
- Certified Nursing Aide (CNA) support for bathing, grooming, and personal care
- Medical social work services for care planning, advance directive guidance, and family support
- Spiritual and chaplaincy care for patients and families of all faiths, backgrounds, and traditions
- Bereavement counseling and support for families in the months following a loved one’s passing
Medi-Cal covers the hospice benefit for eligible patients as well, and most private insurance plans include hospice coverage. Our team explains your specific benefits in plain, straightforward language, with no confusing paperwork, no unexpected costs, and no questions left unanswered.
Care Settings We Come To
Hospice does not require your loved one to move, relocate, or leave the setting where they feel most at ease. It is a model of care that travels to them, wherever home is.
Grace and Glory Hospice delivers all services, support, medications, equipment, and supplies directly to:
- Private homes and family residences throughout San Mateo’s neighborhoods
- Assisted living communities
- Memory care communities
- Skilled nursing and post-acute facilities
- Residential care homes and board-and-care settings
If you want to confirm that a specific address or community is within our service area, call us, and we will verify right away.
How to Know When It May Be Time for Hospice
Most families tell us afterward that they wished they had reached out earlier. Not because the outcome would have been different, but because having clear information and a steady, knowledgeable team in their corner would have made the weeks before feel far less uncertain.
Hospice care may be appropriate when:
- A physician has certified that a serious illness carries a prognosis of six months or less if the illness follows its expected course
- The primary goal of care has shifted from curative treatment to symptom management and quality of life
- Pain, breathlessness, fatigue, or other symptoms have become increasingly difficult to manage at home
- Your loved one has experienced repeated hospitalizations without meaningful recovery between admissions
- The daily weight of caregiving has grown beyond what your family can safely and sustainably carry
You do not need a physician referral to contact us. We offer free, no-pressure evaluations for San Mateo families who want to understand their options, with no obligation and no decision required before you are ready.
Review hospice eligibility guidelines
Getting Started with Hospice Care
- Step 1: Reach Out Call (650) 898-5784 or contact us online at any hour. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, evenings, weekends, and holidays included.
- Step 2: Have an Honest Conversation A member of our care team listens carefully, answers your questions in plain language, and helps you understand what is available for your loved one right now. No script. No pressure. No timeline imposed from outside your family.
- Step 3: We handle the coordination. When hospice or palliative care is the right fit, we take care of everything: physician orders, equipment delivery, scheduling, and care team introductions. Your family focuses on being present. We manage the rest.
Every decision is yours. We are here to make the path forward clearer.
Palliative Care in San Mateo
Not every family is ready for the hospice conversation yet, and that is completely understandable. If your loved one is living with a serious illness and still pursuing treatment, palliative care may be the most appropriate starting point.
Palliative care focuses on managing symptoms, providing emotional support, and helping patients and families navigate complex medical decisions with greater clarity and confidence. It is available at any stage of serious illness, can be received alongside curative treatment, and does not require a terminal prognosis. It is meaningfully different from hospice care, and it may be what your family needs right now.
Grace and Glory Hospice provides palliative care throughout San Mateo and the surrounding communities of San Mateo County for families who need expert, compassionate support — wherever they are in the journey.
Learn more about palliative care
Frequently Asked Questions: Hospice Care in San Mateo, CA
- Does choosing hospice mean we are giving up on my loved one? No. Hospice is not about giving up. It is a deliberate choice to focus care on what matters most when curative treatment is no longer the priority.
- How often will a nurse visit? Nursing visit frequency is determined by each patient’s individual care plan and adjusted as needs change.
- Does hospice cover medications and medical equipment? For eligible Medicare and Medi-Cal patients, all medications related to the hospice diagnosis.
- What if we are not sure we are ready to make a decision? You do not have to be ready. Reaching out does not commit you to anything.
- Can my loved one stay at home in San Mateo while receiving hospice care? Yes. Grace and Glory Hospice delivers all care, equipment, and support directly to your loved one, whether that is a private home, an assisted living community, or a skilled nursing facility in San Mateo. Your loved one does not need to go anywhere. We come to them.
