Hospice care in Santa Maria
In-home hospice in Santa Maria — our office is here, and most of our patients live here too.
Care that comes to you
Santa Maria is our home base. The office on Carmen Lane sits minutes from Betteravia, Miller Street, and the west-side neighborhoods, so nurses, aides, chaplains, and social workers can reach you quickly — for scheduled visits and for the unexpected moments in between.
We care for Santa Maria patients wherever they live: in private homes near Pioneer Valley or Enos Ranch, with family caregivers, or in local assisted living and skilled nursing communities along Broadway and Betteravia.
Most of our daily visits stay inside the city. If you live near the hospital corridor or the west side, a nurse can often reach you in under 15 minutes.
Our office is in town — typically under 15 minutes from most Santa Maria neighborhoods.
Questions about care in Santa Maria? Call (805) 361-0264. A member of our team answers day and night.
At a glance
- 24/7
- Nurse always on call
- 24–48hr
- Typical admission
- Medicare
- Hospice benefit for eligible patients
Three questions to shape the first call
Almost no family knows what to ask the first time. These are the three things we need to know, and what usually follows from each answer.
- 1
Where does your loved one live?
- A house in Santa Maria — near Pioneer Valley, Enos Ranch, or on the west side — care comes to the home, and family caregivers are trained and supported.
- An assisted living or senior community along Broadway or Betteravia — hospice is added on top of the care they already receive.
- A skilled nursing facility — we coordinate directly with facility staff so hospice fits the routine already in place.
- Still in the hospital — care can begin at discharge, or follow them where they are.
- 2
What is hardest this week?
- Pain, breathing, nausea, or hard nights — skilled nursing and pain management.
- Bathing, dressing, and transfers — a home health aide.
- Paperwork, benefits, or a conversation nobody wants to start — social work.
- Grief, fear, or questions of meaning — chaplain and emotional support.
- 3
Has a doctor said the illness is life-limiting?
- Yes — call today, and we will start arranging the certification and the first visit.
- Not yet, but the family is carrying all of the caregiving — call anyway. We will talk it through with you and with the doctor.
- You are still weighing hospice against palliative care — call and ask. Nobody is signed up on a first conversation.
What it costs and how fast it starts
What it costs
For most Santa Maria families, hospice is a benefit rather than a bill. Medicare Part A covers nursing visits, home health aide visits, medications for the hospice diagnosis, medical equipment such as a hospital bed, supplies, social work, chaplain support, volunteers, and bereavement care for the family afterward. Medi-Cal coverage is similar, and most private plans include a hospice benefit.
Medicare may still leave a small copayment for outpatient prescriptions and a share of the cost of inpatient respite care, and we verify your coverage and tell you what applies before care begins. Treatment for conditions unrelated to the hospice diagnosis stays with regular Medicare or your other insurance. We never require a financial contribution from your family, and we never turn anyone away for inability to pay. Because our office is here on Carmen Lane, you can also sit down with someone and go through your coverage in person.
Full coverage detail lives on the eligibility and coverage page.
How fast care starts
Call at any hour and a real person on our team answers, nights and weekends included. A physician has to certify eligibility before care begins, and we help arrange that with your loved one's doctor. From there, admission is typically organized within 24 to 48 hours of the referral, and we usually deliver medications, a hospital bed, and other supplies within 24 hours of admission.
Santa Maria is where our office sits, so most of our daily visits never leave the city. If you live near the hospital corridor or the west side, a nurse can often reach you in under 15 minutes. Hospice care is intermittent rather than live-in: your nurse sets a visit schedule with your family based on the care plan, and revisits it as needs change. Between visits, our on-call nurse is reachable by phone 24 hours a day, and we can send a nurse to the home for urgent support.
Our certification and quality record is public on Medicare Care Compare.
What Santa Maria families receive
The full hospice benefit travels with us: the same team and the same services every family receives, plus medications, equipment, and supplies related to the hospice diagnosis, delivered to the home.
Where we provide care in Santa Maria
-
Private homes
Most of our Santa Maria patients receive care in their own home, supported by family caregivers and our visiting team.
-
Assisted living
We partner with residential and assisted living communities, adding hospice support on top of the care they already provide.
-
Skilled nursing facilities
Our team coordinates directly with facility staff so hospice care fits into the daily routine already in place.
Wondering if it's time? Read about hospice eligibility or browse our frequently asked questions.
What Santa Maria families ask
Is there hospice care in Santa Maria?
Yes. Our office is on Carmen Lane and most of the families we serve live here in the city. Care happens wherever home is — a private house, an assisted living community, or a skilled nursing facility.
Where is your office?
222 W Carmen Ln., Suite 206. Most Santa Maria neighborhoods are under 15 minutes away, and you are welcome to come in and talk with someone in person rather than over the phone.
How much will this cost our family?
For most patients covered by Medicare Part A, nothing for the hospice services themselves. We verify your benefits and explain what is covered before care begins.
How quickly can hospice start in Santa Maria?
Typically 24 to 48 hours from the referral. The Carmen Lane office is in town, so Pioneer Valley, Enos Ranch, and the west side are under 15 minutes away. Call any hour and a real person answers. Once your loved one is on service, an on-call nurse is reachable by phone 24 hours a day and can make an urgent home visit.
Can we walk into the Carmen Lane office without a doctor calling first?
Yes. Walk-ins are welcome during office hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, at 222 W Carmen Ln., Suite 206. You can also call us yourself — anyone can refer. A physician does have to certify eligibility before care begins, and we help arrange that with your loved one's doctor. Nobody is enrolled on a first conversation.
Can hospice come to assisted living or a nursing home?
Yes. We work with communities along Broadway and Betteravia and elsewhere in the city, adding hospice support on top of the care they already provide and coordinating directly with facility staff.
Is care available in Spanish?
Yes. Say so on your first call and we will match you with a team member who can speak with you in Spanish.
Is hospice only for cancer?
No. We care for people with heart disease, lung disease including COPD, dementia and Alzheimer's, stroke, kidney or liver disease, ALS and other neurologic illness, Parkinson's disease, and general decline with advanced age.
Will a hospice nurse live with us in Santa Maria?
No. Hospice care is intermittent rather than live-in, even when home is minutes from Carmen Lane. Your nurse sets a visit schedule with your family based on the care plan, and revisits it as needs change. Between visits, an on-call nurse is reachable by phone 24 hours a day and can make an urgent home visit to Pioneer Valley, Enos Ranch, or the west side.
If your question is not here, call and we will answer it on the phone.
View all questionsReady to talk about care in Santa Maria?
No obligation, no pressure, just answers. Call anytime, day or night, and a real person on our team will pick up.