What No One Tells You About Hospice
The 72 questions every hospice family asks. Answered.
Nobody explains hospice until you're already inside it. This guide does. In plain language, in the order you'll need it, from someone who spent 15 years inside hospice care.
Instant digital download. 200+ pages. 7-day money-back guarantee.
The problem
The word gets said in a hallway. Then everyone moves on.
Like you understood it. You didn't. Almost no one does.
So you start learning in real time, during the hardest weeks of your life. What the comfort kit is for. Why they're sleeping more. What the morphine really does. Who to call at 2 a.m. What to do in the first hour after.
You shouldn't have to learn it by guessing. Not this. Not now.
What's inside
72 questions, in the order you'll need them.
You don't read this front to back. Every question is organized by when it shows up. You flip to where you are, and the answer is waiting.
The hospice decision
Qualifying, choosing an agency, the red flags of a bad one, what "electing hospice" means, and how to switch or revoke if you need to.
The first week
The first 48 hours, the admission visit, the comfort kit, every team member and how often they come, and the four levels of care.
Medications and symptoms
The morphine question, answered honestly. What each medication in the comfort kit does, and what to stop worrying about.
The active dying phase
What the body does as it shuts down. What to say. What to do. The signs that tell you where you are.
The first hour after
Who to call and in what order. What the nurse does at the time-of-death visit. Whether children should be there.
The weeks, months, and years of grief
What grief looks like. What's normal, what's not, and when to reach for help.
Plus 50+ word-for-word scripts for the hard conversations, 8 permission-slip pages, and real stories from inside the room, including my own grandmother's hospice journey.
From families who used it
"We were never left wondering what to do."
"We don't know what we would have done without this guide. You can tell Alyssa knows her stuff. She explains everything so clearly, we were never left wondering what to do."
Amanda H., daughter and caregiver
"Wow, this guide is so much more than anything I have ever read. Alyssa really does guide you through the whole process."
Janet H., daughter and caregiver
"I don't have many words for you other than, this saved my sanity."
William B., husband and caregiver
Who wrote this
I've been the person in the room.
I'm Alyssa Givens. For 15 years I've worked inside healthcare and hospice, as a liaison, a hospice social worker, and a Certified Grief Counselor (AIHCP). I'm President of the Heart of Hospice Foundation.
During COVID I was the only social worker for 100 patients. I have also walked my own grandmother through hospice.
This guide is everything I learned at the bedside, written down so you don't have to learn it the hard way.
Your guide, to keep
What No One Tells You About Hospice
The complete 200+ page companion for hospice families. All 72 questions answered, in the order you'll need them.
- Digital PDF, delivered to your inbox within minutes
- Read it on any device, or print the sections you need
- 50+ word-for-word scripts
- One purchase covers your household. Share it with your family.
- 7-day money-back guarantee
One-time purchase
$67
Instant digital download. No physical book will be mailed.
Get the Hospice GuideIf you don't find at least one thing that changes how you handle your situation, email me within 7 days and I'll refund it.
It is okay to ask
The things hospice families ask me most.
Is this for me?
If your loved one is on hospice, being evaluated for it, or you sense it's coming, yes. It's also for the family in the after, carrying grief and unsure what's normal.
My loved one isn't on hospice yet. Is it too early?
No. The earliest chapters cover the hospice decision itself. The families who do best are the ones who understood hospice before they had to elect it.
Isn't this a depressing read?
It's an honest one. It isn't written to frighten you. It's written to remove the fear that comes from not knowing. Most families tell me it made them feel calmer, not sadder.
Is this medical advice?
No. It's educational information based on 15 years of professional hospice experience. It's a companion to your hospice team, not a replacement. Always defer to your nurse and medical director for your loved one's care.
Is there a refund?
Yes. Email me at [email protected] within 7 days.
Not ready yet?
Start with the free First 48 Hours guide.
The first calls to make, what to expect from the team, and the conversations no one prepares you for.