Provider Referrals
How physicians and discharge planners can refer a patient to hospice
Referral steps for physicians, discharge planners, facility teams, and families coordinating hospice care in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Hospice referrals should be clear, fast, and respectful. Caritas Hospice works with physicians, discharge planners, facilities, families, and caregivers to start the care conversation.
Who can start a referral?
A physician, discharge planner, facility team member, caregiver, or family member can contact Caritas Hospice. The hospice team can explain what documentation is needed.
Referral options
- Call 214-506-8422 for direct referral guidance.
- Confirm the appropriate secure transfer process with the care team before sending documentation.
- Do not send patient information or medical records through ordinary email.
- Use the referral page to find the current phone guidance.
Helpful information to prepare
Diagnosis, physician contact information, recent hospital or facility notes, medication list, and a simple summary of recent decline can help the team move faster.
What happens after referral
The hospice team reviews the situation, coordinates with the physician or care setting, and helps the family understand eligibility, timing, and next steps.
What makes a referral move faster
A referral usually moves faster when the hospice team has enough information to understand the patient's current condition. Helpful information includes the primary diagnosis, recent decline, current location, physician contact, recent hospital or facility notes, medication list, insurance information if available, and the name of the family member or responsible party.
Do not delay the call just because everything is not ready. The hospice team can explain what is required and what can be gathered later.
Referral from a hospital or facility
Physicians, discharge planners, nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and memory care teams often start hospice referrals when a patient's needs are changing. The referral should include enough clinical context to explain why hospice may be appropriate now.
Facility teams should also clarify who the hospice team should contact, where the patient is located, and whether the family has already been told hospice is being discussed.
Referral from a family member
Families can ask questions even if a physician has not yet started paperwork. A family member can call and describe what has changed: hospital visits, symptoms, weakness, eating changes, confusion, falls, infections, pain, shortness of breath, or caregiver exhaustion.
If hospice may be appropriate, the hospice team can explain how physician coordination and eligibility review work.
Questions before sending a referral
- What diagnosis or decline pattern is prompting the referral?
- Where is the patient right now?
- Who is the physician or facility contact?
- Who is the family decision-maker or responsible party?
- Are symptoms urgent, or is this a planning conversation?
- What does the family understand about hospice so far?
How Caritas Hospice handles referral questions
Caritas Hospice can receive referral questions by phone or through the referral page's current call guidance. Families and providers in Dallas-Fort Worth should call first so the care team can explain what documentation is needed and confirm the appropriate secure transfer process.
The first contact should leave the family or provider with a clear next step: what information is needed, who will be contacted, and how quickly the team can follow up.
For Dallas-Fort Worth referrals, the fastest next step is usually a direct call with the basic patient information available. Documentation can often be clarified during the process.
About this guide
Written by Caritas Hospice Editorial Team
Published July 11, 2026
This article is for general educational information and does not replace medical advice or an individual hospice eligibility assessment.