In-Home Palliative Care: How It Works
When a serious illness makes everyday life harder, getting to one more appointment can feel like too much. LoveWell Med Partners brings palliative care to you. Our team visits wherever you call home in North Texas to ease symptoms, talk through what matters most, and keep your doctors in the loop.
In-Home Palliative Care at a Glance
- What it is: medical care focused on comfort and quality of life for people living with a serious illness, at any stage, alongside the treatment.
- Who visits: a LoveWell physician or nurse practitioner, supported by a nurse, social worker, chaplain, and care coordinator.
- Where: your home, including assisted living, independent living, and memory care communities, across 11 North Texas counties.
- How often: most patients see one or two team members about once a month, and more often when symptoms change.
- Cost: billed to Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance, like a doctor visit. We check your coverage before your first visit.
What is In-Home Palliative Care?
In-home palliative care is specialized medical care for people with a serious illness, delivered where they live instead of in a clinic. It focuses on relieving symptoms like pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue, and on helping patients and families make decisions that fit their goals.
Palliative care is not hospice. You can keep seeing your specialists and continue treatments like chemotherapy, dialysis, or heart medications.
How Does In-Home Palliative Care Work with LoveWell?
Care starts with one conversation and builds from there. Here is what to expect, step by step.
- 1. Reach out. You, a family member, or your doctor can call us or send a message. You don’t need a referral to ask questions.
- 2. We check your coverage. Before your first visit, we verify your insurance and explain what you may owe. No surprises.
- 3. Your first visit. A LoveWell physician or nurse practitioner visits your home, usually within a few days of your call. We'll review your symptoms, medications, daily routine, and what matters most to you.
- 4. Your care plan. Together, we create a care plan based on your goals and share it with your doctors so everyone stays aligned.
- 5. Ongoing visits. Your team returns on a regular schedule, typically about once a month, and adjusts the plan as your needs change.
- 6. Support between visits. Questions don’t wait for appointments. You can reach our team by phone, and calls are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Who Will Visit Me at Home?
- Physician or nurse practitioner: examines you, manages symptoms, prescribes and adjusts medications, and leads discussions about care choices.
- Nurse: checks how you’re doing, helps with medication questions, and teaches caregivers what to watch for.
- Social worker: helps with stress, family conversations, advance directives, and connecting to community resources.
- Chaplain: offers spiritual support for you and your family, if you’d like it, in a way that respects your beliefs.
- Care coordinator: schedules visits, keeps your doctors updated, and makes sure nothing falls through the cracks.
How Often Will the Team Visit?
Most patients see one or two members of their team about once a month. If symptoms change or a new concern comes up, we can visit more often. Visit frequency also depends on your needs and your insurance plan, and we’ll explain both up front.
What Happens During a Visit?
Each visit centers on how you’re feeling and what you want help with.
A typical visit may include:
- Checking symptoms such as pain, breathing, sleep, appetite, and mood
- Reviewing medications for what’s working and what’s causing side effects
- Talking through upcoming treatment choices and what each could mean for daily life
- Helping you put your wishes in writing, such as an advance directive or medical power of attorney
- Answering caregiver questions and planning for what’s ahead
Where Do You Provide Palliative Care?
We come to you, wherever you call home: a private residence, an assisted living or independent living community, or a memory care community. If you’re not sure whether we can visit your setting, call us and we’ll talk it through.
- Collin
- Cooke
- Dallas
- Denton
- Fannin
- Grayson
- Hunt
- Kaufman
- Rockwall
- Tarrant
- Wise
What If Symptoms Flare at Night or on a Weekend?
Call us any time at (469) 496-5699. Our phones are answered 24/7, and a member of our clinical team will help you decide what to do next, including whether you need a visit. In an emergency, always call 911.
Will I Keep My Own Doctors?
Yes. Palliative care adds a layer of support; it doesn’t replace your doctors. We send visit updates to your primary doctor and specialists by fax or electronic health record, and we coordinate with them on medication changes.
How Much Does In-Home Palliative Care Cost?
Palliative visits are billed to insurance much like a doctor’s office visit.
- Original Medicare: Part B generally covers medically necessary visits from physicians and nurse practitioners. Your Part B deductible and coinsurance usually apply.
- Medicare Advantage and private insurance: most plans cover palliative visits, but copays and rules vary by plan.
- Medicaid: We’ll confirm the details of your specific plan.
- Medications and equipment go through your own insurance, as they do today.
What If My Needs Change?
Need help with daily tasks? LoveWell Care Services provides non-medical help at home, such as bathing, meals, and companionship. Many families use both.
Goals shift toward comfort? If you or your doctor feel it’s time to talk about hospice, LoveWell Hospice can explain your options. There’s no pressure, and the choice of hospice provider is always yours.
Who Can Benefit from In-Home Palliative Care?
Palliative care can help adults living with a serious illness such as heart failure, COPD or other lung disease, cancer, kidney or liver disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or stroke.
It may be time to ask about palliative care if:
- Trips to the ER or hospital are becoming more frequent
- Symptoms are getting harder to control at home
- Getting to appointments is becoming difficult
- A family caregiver is feeling stretched thin
- Big treatment decisions are coming up
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Palliative care can start at any stage of a serious illness, even right after diagnosis. Many people receive it for months or years while continuing treatment.
No. You can keep your specialists and continue treatments like chemotherapy, dialysis, or heart medications. Palliative care works alongside them.
No. You or a family member can call us directly at (469) 496-5699. Your doctor can also send a referral, and we’ll coordinate with them either way.
Often, yes. Original Medicare Part B generally covers medically necessary visits from physicians and nurse practitioners, including visits at home, and your deductible and coinsurance usually apply. We verify your coverage before your first visit.
Usually, yes. Palliative visits are medical visits from a physician or nurse practitioner, which are separate from home health nursing or therapy. We’ll check how your plan handles both.
Yes. Our visits happen in person, where you live. Between visits, our team stays in touch by phone.
There’s no set limit. Care continues as long as it helps you and your insurance covers it.
No. It means adding support so you can feel better and focus on what matters to you, whatever treatment path you choose.
Palliative care is medical care from licensed clinicians who manage symptoms and medications. In-home caregiving, like LoveWell Care Services, is non-medical help with daily tasks such as bathing, meals, and companionship. Many families use both.
Yes. If your illness progresses and your goals shift toward comfort, you can talk with us about hospice. You can also leave hospice later to restart treatment, and the choice of hospice provider is always yours.
Yes. Palliative care can help with symptoms like pain, sleep problems, and agitation, and it gives families guidance for the road ahead. For non-medical support, LoveWell Care Services also offers dementia care at home.
Part of the LoveWell Family
Palliative Care Starts with a Conversation
You don’t need to have every answer before you call. Tell us what’s happening, and we’ll help you figure out whether in-home palliative care is the right fit.