First 48 Hours of Hospice at Home

When a doctor says hospice may help, most families in Orange County have the same question next: what actually happens now? Knowing what to expect in the first two days can take a lot of worry off your shoulders. Here is what the start of hospice at home usually looks like with Maxcare Hospice.

Hour 0: The first phone call

It starts with a call to (714) 844-7777. You can call us yourself. You don’t have to wait for a doctor to call first. We will ask a few simple questions: who the patient’s doctor is, where they live, and what insurance they have. Most hospice care is covered by the Medicare Hospice Benefit, and many private plans cover it too. We’ll check coverage for you, so you don’t have to work it out alone.

If it’s evening or the weekend, call anyway. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. A live person answers our phone.

Hours 1–24: The admission visit

A registered nurse comes to the home. That might be a house in Garden Grove, an apartment in Santa Ana, or a board-and-care home in Riverside. The nurse will:

Talk with the patient (when possible) and the family about goals. What matters most right now? Comfort? Staying home? Being awake for visits from grandchildren?
Go over the consent forms in plain language. Hospice is not a contract you’re locked into. You can stop hospice at any time.
Check symptoms like pain, shortness of breath, restlessness or trouble sleeping, and start a plan to ease them.
Tell you how to reach us day or night. A live person answers 24/7.

Families often tell us this visit is the first time in weeks they felt someone was really listening.

Hours 24–48: Supplies, medicines, and the team

Within the first day or two, things the patient needs start arriving:

Equipment such as a hospital bed, wheelchair, oxygen or a bedside commode, delivered to the home.
Comfort medicines related to the hospice diagnosis, usually covered under the hospice benefit.
Your care team. Besides your nurse, you’ll meet or hear from a home health aide (help with bathing and personal care), a medical social worker (paperwork, advance directives, family stress), and a chaplain or spiritual care provider if you want one. Volunteers and bereavement support are part of hospice too.

Language and culture matter

Orange County is home to many Vietnamese families. Our care team speaks Vietnamese, so parents and grandparents can talk about pain, fears and wishes in the language they think in. We also have a Korean-speaking nurse. For other languages, we arrange professional interpreter support. We respect each family’s traditions around food, prayer, and who should be present at the end of life.

What families can do in these first days

Keep a simple notebook. Write down medicine times, symptoms and questions for the nurse.
Pick one point person to speak with the team, even if the whole family helps.
Put the on-call number on the fridge. If something changes at 2 AM, call us first. In most cases you won’t need 911.
Take care of yourself. Caregivers need rest too. Ask about respite care if you’re worn out.

Questions we hear a lot

Does starting hospice mean giving up? No. Hospice shifts the focus to comfort and quality of life. Some patients feel better once their symptoms are well managed.

Can my loved one stay home? Yes. Most of our patients receive care wherever they call home.

How do I know if it’s time? Read our gentle checklist: Is it time for hospice? · Đã đến lúc cần hospice chưa?

We’re here when you’re ready

Maxcare Hospice is Medicare-certified (CCN 551689) and ACHC-accredited, based at 13800 Arizona St #201 in Westminster. We serve Orange County, the Inland Empire and South LA County. Call (714) 844-7777, any time. A live person answers our phone 24/7.

Tóm tắt tiếng Việt

48 giờ đầu tiên khi bắt đầu hospice tại nhà

Cuộc gọi đầu tiên: Gia đình có thể tự gọi (714) 844-7777 mà không cần chờ bác sĩ. Chúng tôi sẽ kiểm tra bảo hiểm (Medicare, bảo hiểm tư) giúp gia đình.
Trong 24 giờ đầu: Y tá đến tận nhà để hỏi về mong muốn của gia đình, giải thích giấy tờ dễ hiểu (gia đình có thể ngưng hospice bất cứ lúc nào) và bắt đầu kế hoạch giảm đau, giảm khó thở.
Trong 24–48 giờ: Giường bệnh, oxy và thuốc giảm triệu chứng được giao tận nhà. Gia đình sẽ gặp đội chăm sóc gồm y tá, người phụ tá, nhân viên xã hội và tuyên úy nếu muốn.
Ngôn ngữ: Đội ngũ của chúng tôi nói tiếng Việt, nên ông bà, cha mẹ có thể nói về cơn đau và mong muốn bằng tiếng mẹ đẻ.
Giờ mở cửa: Mở cửa 24 giờ, 7 ngày một tuần. Luôn có người nghe máy.

Amaro Ngo

I really appreciate Max care team took care my auntie in Santa Ana six months ago thank you to Jamie Volunteer coordinator, tien Nguyen DPCs and entire team for excellent service. Highly recommended to anybody else that need home health and hospice care thank you again ❤️

Winnie Phan

Maxcare Hospice was a wonderful place for my mother during her final days. The staff were incredibly dedicated; in particular, Tam Tran, the Patient Support Manager, was very friendly and helpful. My heartfelt thanks go to the nurses, social workers, and volunteers—they were always there by my mother’s side whenever she needed support.

TT Ngle

My mother’s funeral has recently concluded. I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the dedication and compassion shown by the doctors, medical staff, and nurses from the MAXCARE HOSPICE and Homehealth 24/7 programs. They cared for my mother throughout her time in bed, and especially during her final moments, enabling us to fulfill her wish to pass away peacefully, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. We will always cherish this kindness. Life becomes truly meaningful when people reach out to one another with understanding, empathy, an open heart, and helping hands. With sincere thanks.

Katherine Cao

MaxCare exceeded our family's expectations. The staff consistently treated us with empathy and respect while providing exceptional medical and emotional support during a very difficult time. Their availability, guidance, and compassion gave us peace of mind throughout the experience. We will always be grateful for their care.

Pauline Do

I just want to say a heartfelt thank you to Nurse Katy for taking such good care of my mom. She was so kind, patient, and thoughtful, and I could tell she genuinely cared about my mom’s well-being. It gave me peace of mind knowing my mom was in such caring hands. Thank you, Katy, for everything you did. It truly means a lot to me and my family!

Trong Nguyen

Outstanding Compassionate Care – Thank You, Maxcare Hospice! Our family would like to express our deepest gratitude to Maxcare Hospice for the exceptional care, kindness, and compassion they provided to my beloved mother during her final days. My mother passed away one month ago, and losing her has been one of the most heartbreaking experiences of our lives. During this difficult journey, the Maxcare Hospice team brought comfort, peace, and reassurance to both my mother and our family. Their dedication and genuine compassion meant more to us than words can ever express. A very special thank-you to Nurses Hanh , Trang, Tâm, anh Phong, and anh Tien, anh Sơn , as well as the entire office staff. We are deeply grateful for your kindness, patience, professionalism, and heartfelt support, and for responding so quickly whenever we called, day or night. You treated my mother with dignity, gentleness, and respect, and you helped our family navigate one of the most difficult moments of our lives. Your care and compassion will always hold a special place in our hearts. We truly appreciate not only the medical care provided to my mother but also the emotional support and understanding you extended to our family. Knowing that my mother was cared for by people who treated her with such kindness brought us comfort during an incredibly painful time. After my mom passed, the beautiful orchid was sent to her ceremony, such a beautiful gesture that reminded us how deeply you care not just for her but for our family Although my mother is no longer with us, we will never forget the compassion and support we received from Maxcare Hospice. Your kindness made a meaningful difference in our family’s final journey with her. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Hanh, Trang, Tâm Phong, Tiến , anh Sơn, Nurses, the office staff, and the entire Maxcare Hospice team. We wholeheartedly recommend Maxcare Hospice to any family seeking compassionate, respectful, and loving end-of-life care for someone they cherish. May God bless all of you for the wonderful work you do and for the comfort you bring to families when they need it most. With heartfelt appreciation and gratitude, The Nguyen Family

Tung Cao

Tâm, Hạnh, Victoria have all been exceptionally excellent. They’ve given me the absolute best service ever. When I was confused, they helped and answered me rapidly fast with clarification. Extremely caring group of people and would absolutely recommend others to get on this program. They’ve taken the best care of my dad and it makes me worry less about him.

The First 48 Hours of Hospice at Home

Hour 0: The first phone call

Hours 1–24: The admission visit

Hours 24–48: Supplies, medicines, and the team

Language and culture matter

What families can do in these first days

Questions we hear a lot

We’re here when you’re ready

Tóm tắt tiếng Việt

See What Families Are Saying About Us!

Visit Maxcare Hospice

Navigation

Services

Areas We Service

Contact