Capital Caring Health outlines hospice basics, services and how caregivers can get help
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Summary
Presenters from Capital Caring Health told a Fairfax Area Agency on Aging webinar that hospice focuses on symptom management for people with a life‑limiting prognosis (about six months or less), is covered by Medicare and Medicaid, and can be initiated by physician or self‑referral. They described inpatient units, respite stays, volunteer supports and service areas across Northern Virginia, Maryland and D.C.
Capital Caring Health explained hospice basics and caregiver resources during a webinar hosted by Catherine Hall of the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging.
Kimberly Grove, vice president and executive director of operations for Capital Caring Health, said hospice is for people with a life‑limiting diagnosis or prognosis "of 6 months or less to live" and focuses on managing symptoms and preserving quality of life. She said nearly 95 percent of the organization’s patients receive care where they live, whether that is a private home or a residential facility. "Hospice really focuses on managing those patient symptoms while enhancing that quality of life," Grove said.
Steve Cohn, vice president of development for strategic initiatives at Capital Caring Health, emphasized potential benefits for patients and families, saying a "terminally ill patient lives better and longer if they're in our hospice care" than if they experience repeated hospitalizations. Both presenters noted hospice is supplemental care—providing medical supplies, prescriptions, education and counseling—rather than continuous 24/7 in‑home staffing except when continuous or crisis care is arranged.
Grove described Capital Caring Health’s inpatient facilities, including the Adler Center in Aldie and a Washington, D.C. site on the Sibley campus, and said the Guernsey Center for Caring is under reconstruction and expected to reopen in January 2027 with seven inpatient beds. The agency serves roughly 6,500 hospice patients and families a year across the Greater Washington region and operates under an affiliation with Chapters Health System.
On payment, Grove said hospice care is covered "100% by Medicare and Medicaid," and that Capital Caring Health bills private insurers as appropriate. Cohn added the nonprofit provides charity care supported by philanthropy and fundraising so that patients without insurance are not turned away; he described charity care as equating to "a couple million dollars a year" in the organization’s work.
Presenters outlined enrollment routes: a physician can write a hospice referral, but anyone can self‑refer by contacting the agency’s intake team. Grove said intake staff can perform an information visit or a full admission visit and will assess eligibility during that process. The webinar materials and a digital brochure will include contact information and resources; presenters also directed caregivers to capitalcaring.org for detailed guides, including a dementia caregiver guide.
In a live Q&A, attendees asked how to proceed when a loved one with dementia previously expressed an unfavorable view of hospice but lacks decision‑making capacity. Grove recommended seeking specialized guidance and offered to follow up personally to help the caller navigate family conversations and options. Cohn pointed to the dementia guide on the agency website as a starting resource. Another attendee asked about durable medical equipment (DME) ownership after long stays under Medicare; Grove said she would double‑check the specific 13‑month rule rather than provide potentially inaccurate information and said her understanding is that DME typically belongs to the provider and is returned after use.
Other specific items covered in the webinar included respite care (arranged for short stays so caregivers can take time off), coordination with assisted‑living and independent living staff (described as a "tag team" approach), volunteer services (from companionship to errands), pediatric hospice capacity, and the agency’s service area, which Grove listed as Northern Virginia (including Loudoun, Prince William, Fauquier, Fairfax County, Arlington and Alexandria), parts of Maryland (Prince George’s, Montgomery and Howard counties) and Washington, D.C.
The webinar closed with thanks from the hosts, an invitation to complete a feedback survey and an announcement of the next caregiver webinar, "Investment Fraud for Caregivers," scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 from 12 to 1 p.m. Grove and Cohn reiterated that Capital Caring Health is headquartered in Fairfax County and that staff are available to help caregivers explore hospice options and supports.
