Hospice care in the Treasure Valley

What is hospice care in Boise?

Hospice is comfort-focused care from a team of nurses, aides, social workers and chaplains for someone with a life expectancy of six months or less who chooses not to pursue curative treatment, delivered at home, in assisted living or in a nursing home.

Medicare pays for hospice when its rules are met. Hospice often lets a resident stay in their assisted living apartment at the end of life rather than move.

Where is hospice care available in the Treasure Valley?

Our directory lists 17 certified hospice care providers in the five counties, most in Meridian (8), Boise (3), Eagle (3), Nampa (2).

See the full list with license or CMS details.

What does hospice care cost in Idaho?

Medicare covers hospice for eligible patients; room and board in a facility is not included.

See Idaho care costs and paying questions.

Can a resident stay in Boise assisted living on hospice?

Usually yes: hospice comes to the resident's apartment, and many Treasure Valley RALFs keep residents on hospice through the end of life, as long as staff can meet their daily needs with the hospice team's help.

Ask the building before admission how it has handled end-of-life care and whether it limits which hospice the family may choose. Idaho requires the admission agreement to disclose any restriction on the choice of hospice provider.

What does the Medicare hospice benefit include?

Nursing visits, aide visits for personal care, a social worker, chaplain, medical equipment such as a hospital bed, medications related to the terminal illness, short-term inpatient care for symptoms, respite for the caregiver and bereavement support.

Hospice does not pay for room and board in assisted living or a nursing home, and it does not usually provide round-the-clock aides at home except during short periods of crisis care.

When should a Treasure Valley family ask about hospice?

When treatments are no longer helping, hospital visits are becoming frequent, or a doctor would not be surprised if the person died within six months; an informational visit commits the family to nothing.

Families often say they wish they had called sooner, because hospice brings a nurse on call around the clock, equipment, medications for symptoms, and support for the caregiver, including bereavement support afterward.

Who owns Treasure Valley hospice providers?

CMS lists the ownership type for each of the 17 hospice providers with offices here.