El Paso Senior AdvisorWhat is hospice care in El Paso?
Comfort-focused care for someone with a life expectancy of six months or less, from a licensed hospice agency, at home, in assisted living or a nursing facility.
HHSC lists 43 licensed hospice agencies with offices in El Paso County; hospices headquartered elsewhere can also serve El Paso addresses.
Who pays for hospice?
Medicare's hospice benefit, Medicaid and most private insurance; room and board in a facility is not covered.
VA covers hospice for enrolled veterans.
When should we consider hospice?
When treatment is no longer helping or wanted, and comfort becomes the goal.
Ask the doctor.
How do we choose a hospice agency?
Ask about night response, staff, language and inpatient options.
You choose.
Can hospice be provided in assisted living?
Yes, in Texas assisted living and nursing facilities.
The facility stays responsible for daily care.
How do El Paso hospices differ from each other?
Hospices differ in how quickly a nurse responds at night, how often aides visit, whether they have inpatient or respite beds, the languages their staff speak, and their experience with dementia or heart and lung disease.
HHSC lists 43 licensed hospice agencies with offices in El Paso County; hospices headquartered elsewhere can also serve El Paso addresses. Ask each one how many patients a nurse carries, who answers the after-hours line, and how they support the family after a death. You can change hospices if the first one is not working.
Where are licensed hospice providers in El Paso?
The state's records show 43 licensed hospice providers in the metro, 6 in West Side, Upper Valley & Northwest, 11 in Central, Downtown & Kern Place, 2 in Northeast El Paso & Fort Bliss, 12 in Cielo Vista, Eastwood & the UMC Corridor, 2 in Lower Valley & Ysleta, 9 in East Side & Far East, 1 in Outside the city.
| Part of the metro | Licensed providers | Licensed capacity |
|---|---|---|
| West Side, Upper Valley & Northwest | 6 | 0 |
| Central, Downtown & Kern Place | 11 | 0 |
| Northeast El Paso & Fort Bliss | 2 | 0 |
| Cielo Vista, Eastwood & the UMC Corridor | 12 | 0 |
| Lower Valley & Ysleta | 2 | 0 |
| East Side & Far East | 9 | 0 |
| Outside the city | 1 | 0 |
Agencies have no licensed capacity; the figure shown is zero for them.
Side by side
| Hospice provides | Hospice does not provide | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Comfort, symptom control and family support | Curative treatment of the terminal illness |
| Place | Care at home, in assisted living or a nursing facility | Facility room and board |
| Team | Nurses, aides, social workers and chaplains | Round-the-clock private duty |
Sources: Texas Health and Safety Code chapters 142, 242 and 247; 26 Texas Administrative Code chapters 553, 554, 558 and 559; HHSC program handbooks; CareScout, CMS and VA rate tables, as cited above. See our editorial standards.
