Referral Process
What happens after a hospice referral?
Learn what families can expect after a hospice referral, including eligibility review, first contact, care planning, and next steps.
After a hospice referral, the first goal is clarity: understand the patient’s condition, confirm eligibility, answer family questions, and plan the right next step.
The hospice team reviews the referral
The team may review diagnosis, recent decline, symptoms, physician information, facility notes, and family concerns.
The family receives guidance
Families can ask what hospice includes, what services may begin first, who to call after hours, and what to expect during the first visit.
A plan of care is developed
If hospice is appropriate, the care team helps shape a plan around comfort, symptoms, medications, equipment, aide support, emotional support, and family needs.
Questions to ask during the first conversation
- Is hospice appropriate right now?
- What information is still needed?
- How quickly can support begin?
- Who should the family call if symptoms change?
How Caritas Hospice can help
Caritas Hospice can explain what happens after a referral, what information is needed, and how families, physicians, discharge planners, and facility teams can move the process forward in Dallas-Fort Worth.
If the referral is urgent, say that clearly during the first call. If the referral is for planning, the team can still explain what to watch for and what information will help when the family is ready.
Caritas Hospice can walk families and care teams through these steps in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Step 1: confirm the basic information
After a referral, the hospice team usually confirms the patient's name, location, diagnosis, physician information, family contact, and current care setting. If the patient is in a hospital or facility, the team may coordinate with discharge planners, nurses, or facility staff.
This step prevents delays and makes sure the right people are involved in the conversation.
Step 2: review eligibility information
Hospice eligibility is clinical. The team may review recent decline, symptoms, hospital visits, infections, weight loss, functional changes, physician notes, and whether comfort-focused care may be appropriate.
Families should not feel pressured to prove eligibility themselves. Their role is to describe what they are seeing and provide contacts or records when available.
Step 3: explain services and consent
If hospice appears appropriate, the team explains what hospice includes, what the care plan may involve, who will visit, who to call after hours, and how medications, equipment, and supplies are handled.
Before care begins, consent forms and benefit information should be explained in plain language. Families should ask questions until they understand what is changing and what is not.
Step 4: plan the first visit
The first visit may include assessment, medication review, equipment needs, safety concerns, family teaching, and next steps for the care plan. If symptoms are urgent, families should say that clearly during the referral conversation.
What families can do while waiting
- Keep the phone nearby for the hospice team.
- Gather medication lists, insurance cards, and physician contacts if available.
- Write down the symptoms that worry the family most.
- Ask the hospital or facility what records will be sent.
- Clarify who should sign forms if the patient cannot.
About this guide
Written by Caritas Hospice Editorial Team
Published July 12, 2026
This article is for general educational information and does not replace medical advice or an individual hospice eligibility assessment.