Disclaimer: Westlake Village Hospice Inc. is a licensed and Medicare-certified hospice care provider. We do not sell, prescribe, dispense, or ship prescription medications, and we do not operate an online pharmacy or telemedicine prescribing service. All hospice services are provided in person by licensed healthcare professionals. Any references to Medicare coverage, medication support, or medical coordination relate solely to patient care delivered under physician direction and do not constitute prescription drug sales or online medical services.
Free Hospice Guides & Family Resources
Downloadable Hospice Guides
Free, professionally written PDF guides to help your family navigate hospice care, Medicare benefits, and end-of-life planning — all from our clinical team.
The Complete Medicare Hospice Benefit Guide
Everything families need to know about Medicare coverage: eligibility, what's covered (nursing, medications, equipment, spiritual care), the 4 levels of care, and how to enroll — all in one comprehensive guide.
Download Free PDFFamily Caregiver Checklist for Hospice
A stage-by-stage printable checklist covering enrollment paperwork, home setup, weekly care tasks, signs of caregiver burnout, what to do as the end nears, and the steps to take after your loved one passes.
Download Free PDF10 Signs It May Be Time for Hospice
A compassionate, honest guide to the 10 most reliable indicators that hospice care could improve your loved one's quality of life right now. Written by our clinical team for families facing difficult decisions.
Download Free PDFOur 4 Levels of Hospice Care — Services Overview
A complete breakdown of all four Medicare-mandated hospice service levels — Routine Home Care, Continuous Care, Inpatient Respite, and General Inpatient Care — including what each covers and when it applies.
Download Free PDFAdvance Directive Guide for California Families
Understand California's AHCD, POLST, DNR, and Living Will documents. Includes step-by-step instructions for completing your Advance Health Care Directive and key questions to help define your end-of-life wishes.
Download Free PDFWhy Families Need Trustworthy Hospice Resources
When a family learns that a loved one has a terminal illness and a prognosis of six months or less, they enter a period of profound emotional complexity — and an immediate, urgent need for accurate information. Decisions must be made about goals of care, hospice enrollment, advance directives, Medicare benefits, and end-of-life planning, often within days and sometimes within hours. In this environment, misinformation or incomplete guidance can have serious consequences for the patient's comfort and the family's wellbeing.
The resources offered by Westlake Village Hospice are written and reviewed by our clinical staff — nurses, social workers, and our hospice physician — specifically to give families the clarity they need during one of life's hardest chapters. Every PDF guide is designed to be read quickly, referenced repeatedly, and shared with family members who may not be present at every conversation with the medical team.
These resources are entirely free. No sign-up, no email required, no marketing. We provide them because informed families make better decisions, experience less crisis, and report higher satisfaction with the end-of-life experience — for themselves and for their loved one.
What Each Guide Covers — In Plain Language
The Complete Medicare Hospice Benefit Guide
- Exactly what Medicare Part A pays for (and what it doesn't)
- The four service levels explained in simple terms
- How to switch from curative care to hospice without losing coverage
- What happens to existing Medicare Part B benefits during hospice
- Step-by-step enrollment walkthrough
Family Caregiver Checklist
- Home setup checklist: what furniture to move, what supplies to stock
- Weekly caregiving tasks broken down by day
- Warning signs of caregiver burnout and how to prevent it
- Signs that the patient is entering the final days
- What to do in the first hours after your loved one passes
10 Signs It May Be Time for Hospice
- Clinical indicators physicians use to assess prognosis
- Signs specific to cancer, heart failure, COPD, dementia, and stroke
- How to have the hospice conversation with a resistant loved one
- Why families typically wait too long — and what it costs
- What a free hospice evaluation looks like and what to expect
California Advance Directive Guide
- Difference between Advance Directive, POLST, and DNR explained clearly
- Step-by-step guide to completing California's standard AHCD form
- How to choose and legally name a healthcare agent
- What POLST means for emergency responders and medical staff
- Common mistakes families make with advance planning documents
Beyond the PDFs: Resources Our Team Provides Directly
The PDF guides are designed to give families a foundation of knowledge. But many of the most important conversations about hospice care happen face-to-face, with a social worker or nurse who knows the patient's specific situation. Our team provides additional guidance that no document can fully replace:
Free Family Education Sessions
Our RN or LCSW can conduct a dedicated family meeting — in person or via video — to walk through any topic in the guides, answer questions, and help family members who live out of state stay informed and involved.
Advance Directive Completion Support
If your family hasn't completed an Advance Health Care Directive or POLST, our social worker can guide you through the process, explain the legal requirements under California law, and ensure the documents are properly executed and distributed.
Medication Education
Many families are anxious about hospice medications — particularly opioids and sedatives. Our nurses provide detailed, compassionate education about every medication on the care plan: how it works, what the correct dose is, how to administer it at home, and what side effects to watch for.
13-Month Bereavement Support
After your loved one passes, our bereavement coordinator reaches out regularly for the following 13 months. This includes grief check-ins, support group resources, memorial services, and referrals to licensed therapists for family members experiencing complicated grief.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of documents do families need when starting hospice care?
When enrolling a patient in hospice, families typically need the following: Medicare/Medicaid card and insurance information, the patient's primary care physician and specialist contact information, a current medication list, any advance directives (POLST, Advance Health Care Directive, DNR orders), and hospital discharge paperwork if transitioning from a hospital. Our admissions team walks every family through this document checklist during the intake process — we do not require families to gather everything before we begin.
Is there a difference between an advance directive and a POLST in California?
Yes — they are different legal documents with different purposes. An Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) is a legal document naming a healthcare agent to make decisions when you cannot, and documenting your wishes for treatment. It applies when the person lacks decision-making capacity. A POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) is a medical order signed by a physician that translates your wishes into immediate, actionable instructions — it is effective immediately and must be followed by emergency responders and medical staff. Both documents are recommended for hospice patients.
What is a DNR and do I have to sign one for hospice?
A DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) is a medical order directing healthcare providers not to perform CPR in the event of cardiac or respiratory arrest. Signing a DNR is NOT required for hospice enrollment. Hospice is comfort-focused care, and most families choose DNR status because aggressive resuscitation is inconsistent with the patient's goals — but this is always the family's and patient's decision, made with support from our team. We never pressure families on this matter.
How does hospice help after the patient passes away?
The support does not end at the moment of death. Westlake Village Hospice provides 13 months of bereavement support to surviving family members — a requirement under the Medicare hospice benefit and a cornerstone of our care philosophy. Bereavement services include phone check-in calls, grief counseling referrals, condolence letters, bereavement support group information, and access to our chaplain for memorial support. If family members are at risk of complicated grief, our social worker can make referrals to licensed grief therapists.
Have Questions the Guides Don't Answer?
Our clinical team is available 24/7 to answer any question — medical, logistical, or emotional. There is never a cost or obligation to call.
Call 818-791-0611These guides are provided for educational purposes only and do not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Individual hospice eligibility and care plans are determined by a licensed physician. For questions specific to your situation, please contact our care team.
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