Hospice care in assisted living in Mesa, Arizona

In short: Yes, Fountain Assisted Living in Mesa accepts residents on hospice. Hospice is a service, not a place: a licensed hospice agency of your family's choosing sends its nurses, aides, social worker and chaplain to your parent here, while our caregivers continue the 24-hour daily care. Your parent doesn't have to move to a nursing home or a hospice house at the end of life.

Can my parent stay at Fountain on hospice?

Yes. If a current resident's doctor recommends hospice, they stay right where they are. We also welcome new residents who are already on hospice, as long as their daily needs fit what our caregivers can provide. Call us at (480) 299-3310 and we'll talk through your parent's situation honestly.

Staying put matters. A familiar room, familiar faces and a familiar routine bring real comfort, especially for someone living with dementia, and they let family spend the time visiting instead of packing and adjusting to a new place.

How hospice works in an assisted living home

Three groups work together, and each has a clear role:

We don't have a nurse on site. Hospice fills that role: the hospice nurse handles the medical side of comfort care and is reachable by phone at any hour, so our caregivers always have someone to call.

Who pays for hospice in assisted living?

There are two separate bills, and it helps to keep them apart:

• The hospice services (nursing visits, aides, social worker, chaplain, and hospice-related medications and equipment) are usually covered by the Medicare hospice benefit. ALTCS members can receive hospice through their ALTCS plan, and many private insurance plans include hospice too.
• Living at Fountain (room, meals and daily care) continues as before. Medicare's hospice benefit does not pay room and board in assisted living. Private-pay residents keep their one all-inclusive monthly rate, and ALTCS residents keep the same arrangement they have today. How ALTCS works at Fountain.

Your hospice agency will explain exactly what its benefit covers before your parent signs on.

When is it time for hospice?

Hospice is for people whose doctor expects them to live about six months or less if their illness runs its usual course, and who choose comfort care over treatment aimed at a cure. For people with advanced dementia, families often notice their loved one eating much less, losing weight, sleeping most of the day, speaking very little, or having repeated infections or hospital visits. If you're seeing changes like these, ask your parent's doctor whether a hospice evaluation makes sense. Starting hospice earlier rather than later usually means more support for everyone.

Hospice isn't a one-way door. If a resident's condition improves, they can come off hospice and continue their care with us as before.

Choosing a hospice agency

Your family chooses the agency; we work with it. Families in Mesa have many licensed options. When you compare them, ask how often the nurse will visit, how quickly someone comes after hours, whether they have experience with dementia, and what bereavement support they offer afterward. If you'd like, our manager can tell you which agencies we've worked with smoothly.

“My dad spent his final year battling advanced Alzheimer's and dementia, and the care he received at FAL was truly exceptional. The entire staff treated him with the utmost patience, dignity, and respect. Ela, Osma, Peter, Toya, Mary, and Annie (among others) were always there for him, going above and beyond to support our family during his last week. I wholeheartedly recommend FAL to anyone looking for a loving, dedicated facility for their own loved ones.”
Gabriela O., daughter of a resident with advanced alzheimer's · Google

Read more reviews from Fountain families, or see how we care for residents with dementia and Alzheimer's.