Hospice Care Centered on
Comfort, Dignity, and Peace
When time matters most, compassionate care makes all the difference.
Central Coast VNA & Hospice is a nonprofit home healthcare provider offering hospice care that focuses on comfort, symptom relief, and honoring each person's wishes. Our interdisciplinary team supports patients and families with expert medical care, emotional guidance, and spiritual support — wherever they call home.
We are here to help you navigate this chapter with clarity, respect, and unwavering support.
Nonprofit provider · Serving the Central Coast since 1950
Speak With Our Care Team
A member of our hospice team will reach out to answer your questions — with compassion and without pressure.
Your information is private and secure.
What Hospice Care Is — and What It Isn't
Hospice is not giving up. It is a choice to focus on comfort, quality of life, and meaningful time — guided by expert care, and supported by a team that walks alongside you every step of the way.
Hospice care is for individuals living with a life-limiting illness where the focus has shifted from curative treatment to comfort. It is covered by Medicare, Medi-Cal, and most private insurance plans — at no cost to the patient for hospice-related services.
Learning about hospice early gives families the opportunity to ask questions, understand options, and make thoughtful decisions without urgency or pressure.
Hospice May Be the Right Choice When:
Curative Treatment Has Ended
When treatment is no longer working or the focus has shifted to quality of life over quantity of time.
A Prognosis of 6 Months or Less
A physician has certified that the illness, if it runs its natural course, may result in passing within six months.
Comfort Is the Priority
Pain management, symptom control, and dignity have become the most important goals of care.
Family Needs Support Too
Emotional, practical, and spiritual support for the entire family — not just the patient — is essential.
Expert pain and symptom management, so patients remain as comfortable as possible
Care delivered at home, in a care facility, or wherever the patient calls home
Emotional and spiritual support for both patients and family members
A dedicated team available 24 hours a day — so no one feels alone
Bereavement support for families that continues after the loss of a loved one
Guidance with advance care planning and coordination with the patient's physician
Choosing Hospice Care Is Never Easy
Having the right team beside you can bring comfort, clarity, and peace.
At Central Coast VNA & Hospice, experienced clinicians, therapists, social workers, chaplains, and volunteers focus on comfort, dignity, and honoring individual wishes. We walk alongside families with guidance, compassion, and 24/7 availability — so no one feels alone.
Open conversations about wishes and goals of care ease stress, strengthen family connection, and help ensure each person's final chapter reflects what matters most to them.
A Team Built Around You
Hospice care at VNA is never provided by just one person. Your care is delivered by a coordinated interdisciplinary team — thoughtfully tailored to your needs, and working together with one shared purpose: to help you feel comfortable, respected, and supported physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Medical Oversight
Your Primary Physician, Hospice Medical Director, and Nurse Practitioner provide specialized medical guidance and symptom management throughout your care.
Nursing Care
Registered Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses focus on comfort, pain control, and ongoing assessment — visiting regularly and available around the clock.
Social & Emotional Support
Medical Social Workers offer emotional support, counseling, and assistance with planning. Chaplains provide spiritual care according to each person's beliefs and wishes.
Personal Care & Comfort
Hospice Aides provide personal care with dignity and respect. Therapists offer supportive therapies when they can enhance comfort and quality of life.
Volunteers
VNA Volunteers provide companionship and complementary therapies — including massage, pet visits, Veteran-to-Veteran support, and music — at no cost to families.
Bereavement Specialist
Bereavement Specialists guide loved ones before and after loss — providing ongoing grief support for families that continues well beyond the end of hospice care.
Support Providers
Pharmacists and dietitians help ensure medications and care plans are thoughtfully coordinated — with attention to the whole person, not just the illness.
Have questions about who will be caring for your loved one?
(831) 257-1294Care That Honors the Whole Person
Hospice care is far more than medical treatment. At VNA, it is a comprehensive approach that addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients and families — together.
Pain & Symptom Management
Our clinical team focuses on keeping patients comfortable, managing pain, shortness of breath, and other symptoms with skill and attentiveness.
Emotional & Family Support
Social workers and counselors support patients and family members through grief, decisions, and the emotional weight of this time — offering guidance without judgment.
Spiritual Care
Chaplains provide spiritual support in accordance with each person's beliefs — helping patients and families find peace, meaning, and a sense of wholeness.
Care in the Home
Hospice is provided wherever the patient lives — at home, in a skilled nursing facility, assisted living, or other care setting — in familiar, comfortable surroundings.
24/7 Availability
VNA's care team is available around the clock — day and night. Families are never left without guidance or support when questions or concerns arise.
Bereavement Support
Our bereavement specialists provide grief support for families that continues for up to 13 months following the loss of a loved one.
How Hospice Care Begins
Starting hospice should feel clear and supported — not rushed or overwhelming. Here is what families can expect from the first conversation through the first visit.
Physician Referral
Hospice care begins with a referral from your physician, confirming a prognosis and that hospice is the right choice at this time.
Hospice Consultation
A VNA team member meets with you and your family to answer questions, explain what hospice provides, and discuss your goals and wishes.
Personalized Plan of Care
Your interdisciplinary care team creates a plan built around your individual needs, preferences, and the things that matter most to you and your family.
Ongoing Support Begins
Care, visits, and 24/7 support begin immediately. Your team stays closely connected, adjusting the care plan as your needs evolve.
I received excellent care. I was totally amazed at how compassionate, caring, and right on top of any information I needed they were. They were right there with anything I needed — and any services they could help me with beyond their own. That is about it.
— J. Smith Family, Hospice Patient Family
Support Doesn't End With Hospice
Grief doesn't follow a schedule. That's why VNA's bereavement support continues for families long after their loved one has passed.
Our Bereavement Specialists provide grief counseling, emotional guidance, and ongoing support for up to 13 months following a loss. Whether you are processing quietly or need more active support, our team is here — with compassion and without judgment.
Bereavement support is included as part of the VNA Hospice program at no additional cost. It is one more way we honor the full experience of every family we serve.
Bereavement Services Include:
Individual grief counseling for family members, regular check-in calls and visits, community grief support resources, spiritual and emotional guidance, and memorial support programs — all provided by our dedicated Bereavement Specialists.
(831) 257-1294Hospice Is a Covered Benefit
For eligible patients, hospice care is covered at no cost for hospice-related services. Our team can help verify your coverage and guide you through the process clearly and without confusion.
As a nonprofit, VNA is committed to making compassionate hospice care accessible to every family — regardless of circumstances. Our team will walk you through coverage options with honesty and care.
Contact Our Hospice TeamFrequently Asked Questions
QWhat is the difference between hospice and palliative care?
Palliative care can be provided alongside curative treatment at any stage of illness. Hospice care is for those who have chosen to focus on comfort rather than curative treatment, typically with a prognosis of six months or less.
QDoes hospice mean we've given up hope?
Not at all. Hospice is a shift in what hope looks like — from hoping to cure the illness to hoping for comfort, dignity, meaningful time, and peace. Many families describe choosing hospice as one of the most loving decisions they made.
QCan a patient leave hospice if they improve?
Yes. If a patient's condition improves or they wish to pursue curative treatment again, they can leave hospice at any time and re-enroll if needed in the future.
QHow is hospice paid for?
Hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medi-Cal, and most private insurance plans. For eligible patients, there is typically no out-of-pocket cost for hospice-related services. Our team will help you verify your coverage.
QCan hospice be provided in a care facility or nursing home?
Yes. VNA provides hospice care wherever the patient calls home — including private residences, assisted living communities, and skilled nursing facilities throughout the Central Coast.
QHow soon can care begin after a referral?
In most cases, VNA can begin hospice care very quickly after a physician referral. Our team will work efficiently to ensure support is in place as soon as it is needed.
QWhat support does VNA provide for family members?
Emotional support, counseling, guidance with care decisions, and bereavement services are all part of VNA Hospice — extending to family members before and after the loss of a loved one.
Still have questions? Our Care Coordinators are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
(831) 257-1294You Don't Have to Navigate This Alone
For 75 years, Central Coast VNA & Hospice has walked alongside families across the Central Coast during life's most profound moments — with compassion, expertise, and unwavering support. If you or someone you love may benefit from hospice care, we are here — without pressure, and without confusion.