What Hospice Care Covers for Pittsburgh Patients and Families
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. Per Medicare guidelines, eligible patients receive a comprehensive range of services at no out-of-pocket cost.
Covered services include:
- Skilled nursing visits on a regular, scheduled basis, with 24/7 on-call nursing support available by phone at all hours
- Physician oversight from our Medical Director throughout the entire course of care
- Medications for symptom management and comfort related to the hospice diagnosis
- Medical equipment and supplies delivered directly to your home – hospital beds, oxygen, wheelchairs, and more
- Certified Nursing Aide (CNA) support for bathing, grooming, and personal care
- Medical social work services for care planning, advance directives, and family guidance
- Spiritual and chaplaincy care for patients and families of all faiths and backgrounds
- Bereavement counseling and support for families in the months following a loved one’s passing
Medi-Cal also covers the hospice benefit for eligible patients, and most private insurance plans include hospice coverage. Our team explains your specific benefits in plain, simple language – so there are no surprises and no confusion about what is and is not included.
Learn More About our Hospice Care
Hospice Care Comes to You in Pittsburgh
One of the most important things to understand about hospice is this: it is not a facility you move into. It is a model of care that travels to you, wherever your loved one is most comfortable.
Grace and Glory Hospice delivers all services, support, equipment, and supplies directly to:
- Private homes and family residences throughout Pittsburgh
- Assisted living communities
- Memory care communities
- Skilled nursing and post-acute facilities
- Residential care homes
Our team serves patients across Pittsburgh, including those in residential care facilities throughout the city. If you want to confirm that a specific address or community falls within our service area, call us, and we will verify right away.
How Do You Know When It Is Time for Hospice?
Many families reach out later than they need to, not because they do not want support, but because they are unsure whether the timing is right. Hospice care may be appropriate when:
- A physician has certified a life-limiting illness with a prognosis of six months or less if the illness runs its expected course
- The focus of care has shifted from treatment aimed at a cure to managing symptoms and maintaining quality of life
- Pain, breathlessness, fatigue, or other symptoms have become increasingly difficult to control
- Your loved one has experienced repeated hospitalizations without meaningful recovery between admissions
- The demands of caregiving at home have grown beyond what your family can safely and sustainably manage
There is no obligation when you reach out. We offer free, no-pressure evaluations to help families in Pittsburg understand their options clearly and to answer the questions that have been weighing on you, however long they have been building.
Getting Started Is Simpler Than You Think
- Step 1: Reach Out Call (650) 898-5784 or contact us online at any time. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
- Step 2: Talk Through Your Situation A member of our care team listens carefully, answers your questions in plain language, and helps you understand what options are available for your loved one right now. There is no script, no sales process, and no pressure to make an immediate decision.
- Step 3: We handle the coordination. If hospice or palliative care is the right fit, we manage everything: physician orders, equipment delivery, scheduling, and care team introductions. Your family focuses on being present. We take care of the logistics.
You remain in control of every decision, at every step.
Palliative Care in Pittsburgh
Hospice is not the only path when a loved one is living with a serious illness. If your family is not yet at the hospice stage, or simply is not ready for that conversation, palliative care may be where you begin.
Palliative care is available at any stage of serious illness, including alongside active curative treatment. It focuses on relieving symptoms, supporting emotional well-being, and helping patients and families navigate complex medical decisions with clarity and confidence. It does not require a terminal prognosis and is not the same as entering hospice.
Grace and Glory Hospice provides palliative care throughout Pittsburg and the surrounding communities of Contra Costa County for families who need more structured support now, wherever they are in the journey.
Learn more about palliative care
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does choosing hospice mean we have given up on my loved one? No. Hospice is not a surrender. It is a deliberate, informed choice to prioritize comfort, dignity, and quality of life when curative treatment is no longer providing meaningful benefit.
- Can my loved one receive hospice care at home in Pittsburg? Yes. Grace and Glory Hospice delivers all care directly to your loved one’s location.
- How many nursing visits will we receive each week? Visit frequency is determined by each patient’s individual care plan and adjusted as needs evolve.
- Does hospice pay for medications and medical equipment? For eligible Medicare and Medi-Cal patients, medications related to the hospice diagnosis and all medically necessary equipment and supplies are fully covered.
- What if we are not sure hospice is the right step yet? That uncertainty is completely normal, and it is exactly why we offer free evaluations with no obligation to enroll.
