Our Care · Tyler & East Texas
Hospice Care in Tyler, Texas
We serve families across Smith, Gregg, Rusk, Cherokee, and six other East Texas counties. Every level of care — all of it — managed by a team that lives in the same communities you do. We do not hand you off. We walk it with you.
01 —Levels of Care
Every level. One standard.
Medicare defines four levels of hospice care. We provide all of them, plus palliative care for patients who are not yet ready for hospice. We never redirect a family to a different agency for any level of care.
01
Routine Home Care
Ninety-five percent of hospice days are routine home care — a nurse, an aide, a chaplain, and a social worker visiting regularly, with a clinician reachable around the clock. We deliver this wherever the patient calls home: a private residence, an assisted living community, or a skilled nursing facility in East Texas.
We come to you. Every week. Without being called.
02
Continuous Care
When a patient is in acute symptom crisis — uncontrolled pain, severe respiratory distress, intractable nausea — Medicare allows a nurse to remain in the home for as long as the crisis requires. We activate within 90 minutes of the call.
When the night gets hard, we do not send a voicemail. We send a nurse.
03
General Inpatient Care (GIP)
Some symptoms cannot be managed at home. When that moment arrives, we coordinate inpatient placement at a partner facility and maintain clinical oversight without interruption. Your nurse does not hand you off to a stranger. The transition is seamless because we direct it.
We accept direct GIP admissions when a physician requests it.
04
Respite Care
Up to five consecutive days of inpatient care, provided so the caregiver can rest. Caregiving is its own form of illness — fatigue, grief, and isolation compound over months. Respite care is the most faithful acknowledgment that the person giving care matters too.
The caregiver matters. This is five days to rest without guilt.
05
Palliative Care
For patients who have serious illness but are not yet ready for — or do not qualify for — hospice, palliative care provides symptom management and comfort support while disease-directed treatment continues. A palliative care conversation is not a hospice conversation. It is simply an earlier one.
Palliative care can transition to hospice if and when the patient is ready.
06
Bereavement Support
Our care does not end when a patient dies. We provide grief support to the family for 13 months after the death — phone check-ins, group sessions, individual counseling referrals, and community memorials. The family who gave so much deserves to be held in return.
All bereavement services are provided at no charge to the family.
02 —The Team
The interdisciplinary team — every family, every time.
The Medicare Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) model puts a coordinated team around each patient. That team meets regularly, communicates consistently, and is reachable by your family between visits.
Registered Nurse (RN)
Manages the patient's clinical care, coordinates the team, communicates with the physician, and is available after hours by phone.
Medical Director
A licensed physician who certifies eligibility, co-signs the plan of care, and is reachable by the attending physician by name.
Social Worker (MSW)
Addresses practical, financial, and emotional needs — advance directives, caregiver support, community resources, and family communication.
Chaplain
Walks with patients and families in faith — or in silence. Spiritual care follows the patient's lead. We also coordinate with your own pastor or minister when the family wishes.
Hospice Aide (CNA)
Assists with bathing, personal care, and the daily rituals of dignity. Often the most frequent visitor in the home.
Bereavement Coordinator
Begins building a relationship with the family before death, then supports them for 13 months after.
03 —Response & Access
4 hr
In-home evaluation
From call to a clinician at the bedside, same day.
90 min
Continuous care activation
Nurse dispatched within 90 minutes of a crisis call.
24/7
After-hours nurse line
Answered by a clinician. Not a service. Not a message.
Direct
GIP admissions accepted
Attending physicians can request direct GIP admission without prior paperwork.
04 —Questions
What families ask most.
What does hospice cover under Medicare?+
Medicare Part A covers all hospice-related services at no cost to the patient — physician visits, nursing, social work, chaplaincy, aide care, medications related to the terminal diagnosis, medical equipment, and bereavement support. There is no deductible and no copay for in-home hospice services.
Is hospice only for cancer patients?+
No. Hospice is appropriate for any life-limiting illness when a physician certifies a prognosis of six months or less if the illness follows its expected course. We serve patients with heart failure, COPD, dementia, kidney disease, liver disease, stroke, and other diagnoses, as well as cancer.
Will my family member receive pain medication?+
Yes. Comfort-focused medication, including opioids when appropriate, is covered under the Medicare hospice benefit. Our medical director and nurses are experienced in symptom management. The goal is not sedation — it is comfort and presence.
What is the difference between palliative care and hospice?+
Palliative care is comfort-focused care that can be provided at any stage of illness, alongside curative treatment. Hospice is a specific Medicare benefit for patients who have chosen to prioritize comfort over curative treatment and have a prognosis of six months or less. Palliative care can transition to hospice as the illness progresses.
Can hospice be stopped?+
Yes. A patient can revoke hospice at any time and return to curative treatment. There is no penalty and no waiting period. Hospice can also be re-elected if the patient meets eligibility again.
Where does hospice care take place?+
Wherever the patient lives. We provide care in private homes, apartments, assisted living communities, and skilled nursing facilities across our eight-county service area in East Texas. We do not require patients to relocate.
Accreditations & certifications
Medicare-Certified
CMS Provider · NPI #1700460789
Texas-Licensed
DSHS HCSSA #020708
CHAP Accredited
Independent accreditation
A question about care is always worth a call.
Our intake nurse can answer questions about eligibility, coverage, and what to expect — before you make any decision.