Glossary
Hospice care
Hospice care is comfort-focused care for a person with a terminal diagnosis, delivered by a hospice agency wherever the person lives, including an assisted living community.
Medicare covers hospice. In California an RCFE needs a hospice waiver from the state to keep a resident on hospice, so ask whether the community has one before it is needed.
Related terms
Hospice waiver
A hospice waiver is the state approval that allows a California RCFE to retain a resident receiving hospice care, whose needs would otherwise exceed what the license permits.
Medicare
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people 65 and over; it covers hospital and medical care and short-term skilled nursing or home health, but not assisted living, memory care, or long-term custodial care.
Definitions reviewed September 5, 2026. Rules vary by state and change over time; confirm specifics with the community and the licensing agency.