Contact Hospice of the Central Coast
We’re available 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.
- Local number: (831) 649-7750
- Toll free: (800) 364-7001
- Fax: (831) 649-7751
After hours support
If you’re already receiving hospice care and have an urgent need after our regular office hours, call us to reach our answering service staff, who can page an on-call nurse.
Find compassionate end-of-life services through Hospice of the Central Coast. Your family will receive support and comfort care delivered wherever you or your loved one is — at home, a nursing facility, or somewhere else.
Part of Community Hospital
Because we’re part of Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, expect the same high-quality care you’ve come to rely on from the hospital’s nurses and medical services. Count on us for coordinated care from many types of experts because Hospice of the Central Coast holds Joint Commission accreditation.
Who qualifies for hospice care?
Hospice care may be right for you if you meet all these criteria:
- You’re at least 18 years old
- You live in Monterey or San Benito counties
- Your doctor has determined your life expectancy is six months or less
- You’ve chosen to decline treatment that could stop or slow the progression of a terminal (life-ending) illness
It’s important to know that while you get hospice services, you can continue to receive medical care that’s focused on relieving pain or other symptoms. If at any time, you decide to seek treatment to cure or slow down your disease, let us know.
You’ll receive hospice care as long as you’re eligible, even if that’s longer than six months.
Why should I get hospice care?
Hospice care is literally a benefit — something most insurance providers fully cover. Hospice covers medications related to your disease, equipment, and supplies. Many people wait until late in a terminal illness to seek hospice care, but signing up earlier can help you feel better for as long as possible.
Care that fits into your life
You can enjoy your daily activities while you’re in our hospice program. If you’d like to travel outside of Monterey or San Benito counties, ask us to coordinate care from another hospice agency near your destination. We want you to live your life to the fullest while you benefit from hospice services.
Starting hospice care
After we learn you’re interested in hospice care, our case manager will call to tell you and your family about what to expect. A nurse will visit for your admission meeting to ask about your symptoms, medical history, goals, and services needed. Your admission meeting may take place the same day you call us to request care.
Hospice team
Your whole family can expect well-rounded care from a team that includes:
- Hospice team – Coordinates with the rest of the hospice staff and your doctor to make a personal care plan for you
- Your primary care provider – Works with the hospice team to assess your needs, manage your symptoms, and prescribe treatment
- Registered nurses – Coordinate services with your doctor and family caregivers or care center staff
- Home health aides – Specialize in hospice care and help you bathe, get dressed, and walk safely, as well as offer emotional support
- Social worker – Addresses your emotional, spiritual, social, and financial needs and provides comfort, including grief support, to loved ones
- Pharmacist – Manages your medications to help you get the most relief from them
- Chaplain – Provides spiritual counseling, if desired, and helps with memorial preparations
- Volunteers – Have hospice training and may visit to chat, drive you to appointments, give you a haircut or massage, play music, or bring their pet
When will I see my team?
Depending on your care plan, hospice nurses and home health aides may come to your home a few times a week, including weekdays, weekends, and holidays.
Whenever possible, you’ll receive visits from the same hospice team members, who know your needs and preferences.
For urgent care outside of your appointments, contact us any time of day or night to reach a nurse on call. Ask us to help arrange convenient deliveries of medications to your home, even outside of business hours if you need them right away.
Westland House
If home hospice services don’t provide enough symptom relief, we’ll help you transition for a short time to Westland House. At this skilled nursing facility, nurses are onsite 24 hours a day. Count on our team to help control your pain, nausea, or other problems, so you can return home feeling more comfortable.
If you’re a family caregiver, you may ask Westland House to provide short-term respite care for your loved one. You can use this service for up to five days per benefit period so you can rest or tend to other responsibilities.
Hospice of the Central Coast is the only area hospice service that lets you seamlessly transition to Westland House, part of Community Hospital and Montage Health. You can trust the facility’s quality of care because it earned five stars — the top rating — from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Community resources
Get help accessing community services that benefit you and your family as you cope with a terminal illness. Ask about our Transitions program, whose staff and volunteers can:
- Arrange transportation to appointments
- Call weekly to check in and talk about how you’re doing
- Identify and help you access local resources
- Offer family caregiver support, including grief support
- Provide an end-of-life resource guide [DOC]