Questions We Hear
Every Day

Hospice care is specialized medical care for people with a life-limiting illness where the focus shifts from curative treatment to comfort — managing pain, symptoms, and emotional distress so patients can spend their remaining time with dignity and peace. Hospice is not a place. It comes to your loved one wherever they call home — a private residence, an assisted living facility, a memory care facility, or even a skilled nursing facility. It includes nursing visits, medications, chaplain services, social work, music therapy, and bereavement support for the whole family.

No — and this is the most important misconception we want to clear up. Choosing hospice is not giving up. It is choosing quality. It's deciding that the time remaining should be spent in comfort, connection, and peace — not in hospitals, procedures, and treatments that may no longer help. Many families tell us that enrolling in hospice gave their loved one more meaningful time, not less. In fact, research shows that hospice patients often live longer than comparable patients who continue curative treatment — because better symptom management and reduced physical stress make a real difference.

To qualify for the Medicare hospice benefit, a patient must have a life-limiting illness and a physician must certify that if the illness runs its natural course, a life expectancy of six months or less is likely. The patient (or their representative) must also choose comfort-focused care rather than continuing curative treatment for the terminal diagnosis. Patients can enroll at any point after receiving a prognosis — as long as they remain hospice-appropriate. You don't need to wait until the final days. Earlier enrollment almost always means better care.

Palliative care is specialized comfort-focused care that can be provided alongside curative treatment — at any stage of illness, not just end of life. It focuses on improving quality of life while treatment continues. Hospice care is a specific type of palliative care for people who have decided to stop curative treatment and focus entirely on comfort. The key difference: palliative care can happen while you're still pursuing a cure, while hospice begins when the focus shifts fully to comfort. If you're not sure which applies to your situation, call us — we'll help you figure it out.

Medicare covers hospice in benefit periods: two 90-day periods followed by unlimited 60-day periods. At the end of each period, a physician recertifies whether the patient still meets hospice criteria. There is no maximum length of stay — a patient can remain on hospice as long as their condition is certified as terminal and they continue to choose comfort-focused care. Some patients are on hospice for weeks; others for a year or more.

Improvement on hospice happens more often than people expect — and it's a good thing. If a patient stabilizes or improves significantly, they may no longer meet the criteria for hospice care. In that case, they would be discharged from hospice — but they can always re-enroll later if their condition changes. Choosing hospice is not permanent and does not close any doors. Patients can also choose to leave hospice at any time to pursue curative treatment again.

Standard hospice care involves scheduled nursing visits rather than 24/7 in-home staffing. However, our team is available by phone around the clock for urgent needs — a real person answers any time of day or night. For patients who need a higher level of care during a medical crisis, Medicare provides for Continuous Home Care and General Inpatient Care in addition to standard hospice visits. We'll help coordinate the right level of care based on where your loved one is in their illness.

We provide hospice wherever your loved one calls home — including private residences, assisted living facilities (all types), memory care facilities, and skilled nursing facilities. You do not need to be in a dedicated hospice facility to receive care. Most of our patients receive care at home or in a residential care setting they're already familiar with.

Yes. Your loved one's attending physician can remain involved in their care and can serve as one of the certifying physicians for hospice eligibility. Our hospice medical director, Dr. Brock Aldrich, DO, coordinates closely with existing physicians to ensure seamless care. You don't lose your relationship with your doctor when you choose hospice.

Our hospice team includes registered nurses, our physician medical director (Dr. Brock Aldrich, DO), our nurse practitioner (Carley Florence, MSN, APRN, AGPCNP-C), certified nursing assistants, chaplains, medical social workers, music therapists, trained volunteers, and a bereavement coordinator. This interdisciplinary team collaborates to address every dimension of care — medical, emotional, spiritual, and practical — for both the patient and the family.

Home health care is skilled medical care delivered at home for patients who are recovering from surgery, illness, or injury, or managing a chronic condition. The goal is recovery and restoring independence. Hospice care is comfort-focused care for people with a life-limiting illness who have chosen to stop curative treatment. The key difference: home health is about getting better; hospice is about being comfortable. A patient can transition from home health to hospice if their condition changes — and our team is experienced in supporting families through that transition.

To qualify for the Medicare home health benefit, a patient must be homebound — meaning leaving home requires considerable effort — and must need skilled care ordered by a physician, such as nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy. Being homebound does not mean you can never leave the house — you can still go to medical appointments or brief essential outings. We verify eligibility for you before the first visit at no charge.

Our home health services include skilled nursing (wound care, medication management, disease education), physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, medical social work, and home health aide services. We also offer group balance and fall prevention programs. All services are coordinated by our physician-led clinical team and tailored to each patient's individual recovery goals.

We provide home health care in private residences and assisted living facilities of all types, including memory care facilities — anywhere a homebound patient calls home. Home health is specific to the home or residential setting; it does not apply to patients in hospital or skilled nursing facilities who are receiving active inpatient care.

Home health is provided in 60-day episodes, which can be renewed as long as the patient continues to meet eligibility criteria and makes progress toward their goals. Most patients receive home health for a defined period following surgery or illness. When recovery goals are met, home health is discharged. If a patient's condition changes, they may transition to hospice or other services as appropriate.

Yes. Medicare Part A covers hospice care at 100% — including nursing visits, medications related to the terminal diagnosis, medical equipment and supplies, chaplain and spiritual care, social work, music therapy, home health aide visits, and 13 months of bereavement support for the family after a patient passes. There are no copays and no deductibles for core hospice services. The only potential costs are a small copay (up to $5) for outpatient prescription drugs and a 5% cost-sharing for inpatient respite care, which most patients do not incur.

Yes. Medicare Part A covers home health care at 100% — with no copays or deductibles — when eligibility criteria are met. The patient must be homebound and require skilled care (nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy) ordered by a physician. We verify your specific coverage before the first visit so there are never any surprises.

We accept all Medicare Advantage plans for hospice care. Medicare Advantage plans are required to cover the hospice benefit at the same level as traditional Medicare. Coverage for home health through Medicare Advantage may vary slightly by plan. We verify your specific plan before the first visit and walk you through exactly what's covered — no surprises.

For Hospice, we accept all Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, State Medicaid, VA Benefits, and Triwest. For Home Health, we accept Traditional Medicare (CGS), Regence Medicare, Aetna Medicare, Aetna Commercial, VA Benefits, Triwest, and State Medicaid. For Personal Care, we accept VA Benefits, Triwest, and Private Pay. Visit our Insurance & Coverage page for the full breakdown, or call us and we'll verify your coverage in minutes.

Medicaid also covers hospice at 100% for eligible patients. Most private insurance plans cover hospice as well — coverage details vary by plan. We verify all insurance before the first visit and will be upfront about any potential costs before care begins. Our goal is that financial concerns are never a barrier to receiving care. Call us and we'll sort out the specifics together.

We do. We submit all claims directly to Medicare, Medicaid, VA, or your insurance plan. You don't need to fill out forms, navigate insurance portals, or make calls on our behalf. We verify coverage before the first visit, handle all billing, and are available to answer any billing questions that come up. This is one less thing for families to worry about during an already difficult time.

Yes — and this is one of the most important things veteran families don't know. Through the VA Concurrent Enrollment Program, a veteran can receive VA benefits AND Medicare hospice benefits simultaneously. You don't have to choose between them. Medicare covers the full hospice benefit (nursing, medications, chaplain care, etc.), while VA benefits cover additional services like personal care, transportation, and expanded support. Our team navigates both systems for you — verifying eligibility, coordinating enrollment, and handling all the paperwork.

We Honor Veterans is a national partnership between the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The program trains hospice organizations to provide veteran-specific end-of-life care — including understanding military culture, PTSD, moral injury, and trauma-informed care. Refined Hospice & Home Health is a Level 4 partner — the highest designation, held by fewer than 5% of hospice organizations nationally. We are also veteran-owned, which means this isn't just a program to us — it's who we are.

Through our Duane V. Blackwell Hospice Program for Veterans, we offer: the No Veteran Dies Alone program (ensuring no veteran faces the end of life alone), a Vet-to-Vet Volunteer program (veteran volunteers who connect with patients through shared military experience), a Veteran Recognition Ceremony (a service-specific flag and certificate of appreciation for every veteran we serve), and close coordination with local VA offices to access expanded resources and services. Our staff are trained in military culture and veteran-specific end-of-life needs.

Yes. Through the VA Concurrent Enrollment Program, veterans enrolled in hospice can continue receiving treatment at VA facilities for conditions unrelated to their terminal diagnosis, as well as VA services that supplement their hospice care. Our team coordinates with VA social workers and case managers to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

The first step is simply calling us or submitting a referral. You don't need to have everything figured out. A family member, caregiver, physician, or discharge planner can initiate the process. We'll talk through your situation, explain your options, verify insurance coverage, and — if hospice is the right fit — arrange for a nurse to visit and complete an assessment. Most patients can begin receiving care within 24–48 hours of the referral being processed. For urgent situations, call us directly and we'll respond immediately.

Anyone can call us — you don't need a physician referral to start the conversation. Family members, patients themselves, caregivers, discharge planners, social workers, and case managers all contact us directly. A physician does need to certify eligibility for the Medicare hospice benefit, but we handle that coordination. You just need to reach out and we'll take it from there.

We action referrals the same day they come in — though timing depends on when and how the referral arrives. For urgent situations, please call us directly at 801-261-9490 so we can respond immediately. We're quick — but we're also human, and we want to make sure every patient gets the careful attention they deserve rather than a rushed intake. Most patients receive their first visit within 24–48 hours of the referral being fully processed.

Call us anyway. One of the most valuable things we do is help families understand their options — without any pressure. A conversation with our team doesn't commit you to anything. We'll explain what hospice would look like for your specific situation, what it covers, and what it doesn't. If you're not ready, that's completely okay. We'd rather you call early and take time to decide than wait until a crisis forces the decision. There is no wrong time to ask.

We serve communities throughout the Wasatch Front — from North Ogden to Lehi. This includes Ogden, Layton, Clearfield, Bountiful, Salt Lake City, Murray, Midvale, Sandy, Draper, South Jordan, Riverton, Herriman, Lehi, and surrounding areas. Not sure if we cover your location? Call us at 801-261-9490 and we'll let you know right away.

A few things set us apart: We are veteran-owned and operated — from our CEO to our volunteers, many of us have served. We are a Level 4 We Honor Veterans partner — the highest designation, held by fewer than 5% of hospice organizations nationally. Our care is physician-led by Dr. Brock Aldrich, DO, with a dedicated nurse practitioner, Carley Florence, MSN, APRN, AGPCNP-C, specializing in adult-gerontology. We hold a CMS 4.5-star Medicare rating. And we are deeply embedded in the Wasatch Front community — these are our neighbors, and that shapes how we show up every single day.