Hospice care at home: what is offered and how to get it

Hospice care at home is specialist palliative care delivered where someone lives, by nurses, doctors, therapists and support staff linked to a hospice. It is free to the patient, and you can ask the GP, district nurse or hospital team to refer you. Services differ from area to area, so ask your local hospice what it can offer.

At a glance

• Hospice care is a style of care, not a building. It can be provided at home, in a care home, or to day patients at the hospice.
• It can start from the point a terminal or life-limiting illness is diagnosed, not just in the last days.
• The NHS says hospice care is free and funded by the NHS and public donations.
• You can contact a hospice yourself, though the team will usually ask for a referral from a doctor or nurse.
• Places and hospice at home hours are limited, and what is offered depends on where you live.

What is hospice care at home?

The NHS describes hospice care as care that aims to improve the lives of people with an incurable illness, looking after medical, emotional, social, practical and spiritual needs, and those of family and carers. It is not tied to a place. A hospice might send a nurse to your home, support you in a care home, or invite you to the hospice for day services while you live at home.

Marie Curie, which runs a Hospice Care at Home service in parts of the UK, describes nurses, healthcare assistants and other professionals providing clinical care and emotional support at home, day or night. This differs from palliative care at home arranged through the GP and district nurses, although the two usually work together. The comfort care at home guide shows how the pieces fit.

What services might a hospice at home team offer?

Every hospice is different. The NHS says most offer medical and nursing care, including managing pain and other symptoms, and many add further support. This table brings together what NHS and Marie Curie pages describe.

Some people live at home and attend a hospice for a day or more each week, which can give access to group exercise, art therapy, music therapy and physiotherapy that are hard to arrange at home. Check whether your hospice provides transport.

Who can get hospice care at home, and when should it start?

Hospice care is for people with a terminal or life-limiting illness, not only those who are dying now. The NHS notes that some people assume hospice care begins only at the end of life, and says this is not true. A hospice team might help control pain or breathlessness early on, or care for someone for a few days before they return home. Marie Curie adds that hospice care does not have to be continuous: you can use it for a day or a few weeks, step away, and come back.

It is not limited to cancer. Marie Curie says its Hospice Care at Home service helps people with any illness they are likely to die from, as well as the people close to them. Whether you qualify locally depends on the hospice’s criteria and capacity, so ask early rather than waiting for a crisis. The stages of palliative care may help you judge when to ask.

How do you arrange hospice care at home?

1. Ask the GP, district nurse, hospital consultant or specialist nurse whether a referral to the local hospice or palliative care team would help. They can often tell you who provides what in your area.
2. Find your nearest hospice with the Hospice UK hospice care finder, or phone the hospice and ask about home services in your postcode.
3. Ask about the referral route. The NHS says you can contact a hospice directly, but the team will usually also ask for a referral from your doctor or nurse.
4. Expect a conversation about your needs. Marie Curie says the GP or district nurse discusses with you whether the service is right and what type and duration of care would help, and then contacts the service.
5. Get the numbers for daytime, out-of-hours and urgent support, and write them where the family can see them.

Questions worth asking: What can you provide at home, and on which days or nights? How quickly can a nurse visit if symptoms get worse? Is there 24-hour telephone advice? Do you offer short stays, day services and bereavement support? How will you work with the GP and district nurses?

Does hospice care at home cost anything?

The NHS says hospice care is free, paid for through a mix of NHS funding and public donation, and Marie Curie describes hospices as providing free nursing and medical care. The Health and Care Act 2022 gives integrated care boards a legal duty to commission palliative care services to the extent they consider necessary, which is why provision varies locally. NHS England’s guidance asks them to consider 24/7 access and access to medicines.

Costs can arise elsewhere. Paid carers who help with washing, meals and care overnight may be charged by the council or a private agency, and you may need a care needs assessment and a financial assessment. If the person is rapidly deteriorating, a clinician can request fast-track NHS continuing healthcare, which is free health and social care arranged and funded solely by the NHS; see fast-track continuing healthcare. Under the special rules for end of life, someone of State Pension age whose doctor says they may have 12 months or less to live can claim Attendance Allowance at the higher rate of £114.60 a week; see the Attendance Allowance guide. A carer’s assessment may also open doors; read carer’s assessment.

What if hospice care at home is not available where you live?

Some areas have limited hospice at home capacity. Do not stop there. Options include:

• Community palliative care nurses and district nurses arranged by the GP, who can visit at home and advise on symptoms.
• Hospice day services, or a short inpatient stay for symptom control or respite, if the hospice offers them.
• Night and care support from a home care agency, or a private nurse at home, which you pay for unless NHS funding applies.
• Equipment and adaptations through the council; see free equipment and OT assessments.
• Moving to a care home that provides end of life care, if home is no longer possible.

If you feel the area does not provide enough, you can raise it with the GP and the local integrated care board. The end of life care at home guide explains how the team around the person works.

Frequently asked questions

Is hospice care only for the last days of life?

No. The NHS says hospice care can start from the point a terminal illness is diagnosed and last however long that is. It does not have to be continuous, and people can take breaks when their condition is stable.

Do I need a referral for hospice care at home?

You can contact a hospice directly, but the team will usually ask for a referral from your doctor or nurse. In practice, ask the GP, district nurse or hospital team to make the referral so assessments are shared.

What is the difference between hospice at home and district nurses?

District nurses are community NHS nurses who visit for nursing tasks. Hospice at home staff are linked to a hospice and bring specialist palliative skills. The two services normally work alongside each other.

Can hospice care be provided in a care home?

Yes. The NHS says hospice care can be provided at home, in a care home or to day patients visiting the hospice. Ask the hospice or the home’s manager how the support would work with the home’s own nurses.

Is there help for family carers?

Yes. Hospices and palliative care services can support partners, relatives and others caring for someone at home through community groups or one-to-one advice, and care extends into bereavement. Marie Curie also runs a free Support Line on 0800 090 2309.

Where to get help next

Start with the GP or district nurse. Our guides on end of life care at home, palliative care in care homes and bereavement support for carers cover the wider picture. The NHS continuing healthcare checker shows whether funding might apply, and you can search home care on The Care Panel for paid support alongside hospice care.

Sources

• NHS: Hospice care
• NHS: End of life care at home
• Marie Curie: Hospice care at home and home nursing
• Marie Curie: Hospice care
• Hospice UK: Hospice care finder
• NHS England: Palliative and end of life care statutory guidance for integrated care boards

New guides: Hospice Care UK: What It Is, Who Can Use It and How to Ask · Hospice Respite Care: Short Stays, Day Services and Home Nurses

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 9 November 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.