Urgent Care Planning
Can a hospice patient go to the hospital?
Learn when a hospice patient may need hospital care, why families should call hospice first, and how respite or revocation decisions are coordinated.
A hospice patient can receive hospital-based care in some situations, but the right first step for a hospice-related concern is usually to call the hospice team. They can assess the situation, explain the options, and coordinate care around the patient’s goals.
Call hospice before calling 911 when it is safe to do so
Hospice provides an after-hours contact because symptoms and worries do not follow office hours. New pain, breathing changes, agitation, nausea, falls, medication questions, or a caregiver who feels unable to manage safely should prompt a call to the hospice team.
The team can help determine whether the symptom may be managed at home, whether the plan needs urgent adjustment, or whether a higher hospice level should be evaluated. Calling first helps avoid rushed decisions that may not match the patient’s comfort-focused plan.
If there is an immediate emergency and it is not safe to wait, call 911. Tell emergency personnel that the patient is enrolled in hospice and share any advance directives or care-plan information available.
When respite care may be used
Respite care gives the patient’s usual caregiver a short break from caregiving.
Under the Medicare hospice benefit, the hospice team may arrange inpatient respite care in an approved inpatient setting for up to five consecutive days at a time when caregiver relief is needed.
The hospice team determines whether respite is appropriate and coordinates the stay. Respite care is not emergency hospital treatment, so families should discuss caregiver strain with the team before it becomes a crisis.
What if the patient wants curative treatment for the terminal illness?
A patient may choose to revoke the hospice election to pursue curative treatment for the terminal illness outside the elected hospice plan.
The patient or authorized decision-maker makes that choice with guidance from the physician and hospice team.
If hospice is revoked, the team should explain what changes in coverage, medications, equipment, and follow-up care.
Medicare-covered care for an unrelated condition may remain available without revoking hospice.
Because the relationship between a condition and the terminal illness depends on the patient’s situation, coordinate outside care with the hospice team.
Revocation does not permanently close the door to hospice. If the patient later meets eligibility requirements and chooses hospice again, a new referral and evaluation can be made.
Prepare before a crisis
- Keep the hospice after-hours number visible and saved in family phones.
- Tell all key caregivers that the patient is enrolled in hospice and where the care-plan documents are kept.
- Ask during the first visit which symptoms require an immediate hospice call.
- Discuss the patient’s wishes for hospitalization, emergency treatment, and comfort care before a crisis when possible.
- Keep an updated medication list and the patient’s advance-care-planning documents accessible.
How Caritas Hospice can help
Caritas currently provides hospice in the Fort Worth area, with Dallas-area expansion underway. Families may ask what to do when symptoms change and confirm current availability without a promise of eligibility or admission.
About this guide
Written by Caritas Hospice Editorial Team
Published August 6, 2026 · Last updated August 19, 2026
This article is for general educational information and does not replace medical advice or an individual hospice eligibility assessment.