Hospice in Utah assisted living: what the rule allows

Can someone stay in Utah assisted living after enrolling in hospice?

Yes. Both Type I and Type II Utah assisted living facilities may accept and keep residents admitted to a hospice program, as long as the facility keeps a copy of the physician's diagnosis and orders and writes the hospice services into the resident's service plan, explaining who is responsible for each need.

The hospice agency provides the nursing, aide visits, medications and equipment tied to the terminal diagnosis; the facility continues to provide room, board and daily care. Medicare's hospice benefit pays the hospice, not the facility's monthly rent, so private-pay or waiver funding for room and board continues.

What extra rule applies to hospice residents in a Type I facility?

A Type I facility may keep a hospice resident who cannot get out of the building without help only if a worker or other person is assigned solely to that resident, is on site to help evacuate them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is trained and physically able to do it, and such hospice residents make up no more than 25% of the facility's census.

That is a demanding requirement, and many Type I homes cannot meet it. If a parent in a Type I facility is nearing the point where they need help to get out of bed, ask the administrator directly how the building will comply, and whether a family-hired companion can fill the assigned role.

What extra rule applies to hospice residents in a Type II facility?

If a hospice resident in a Type II facility cannot evacuate without significant assistance, the facility must develop an emergency plan to evacuate that resident and integrate it into the resident's service plan.

DLBC cites this rule in Salt Lake County. In one 2026 finding, inspectors reviewed the file of a hospice resident who needed significant help to evacuate and found no evacuation plan; the facility corrected it and paid a civil money penalty. Ask to see the plan for your family member.

How many hospices are licensed in the Salt Lake area?

DLBC lists 28 hospice licenses with a licensed address in Salt Lake and Tooele counties as of Oct 30, 2026; hospices based elsewhere in Utah may also serve the area.

The facility does not choose the hospice for you; the resident or family does. Ask the facility which hospices it already works with, then compare at least two. The home health and hospice directory lists every DLBC license with its expiration date.

What should families ask before choosing hospice in assisted living?

Ask how hospice nurses and facility staff divide tasks overnight, who gives comfort medications between hospice visits, and what the facility's evacuation plan is if your family member can no longer walk.

• Confirm the facility's room-and-board charge does not change because hospice is involved.
• Ask whether the hospice provides a bedside aide, how many hours a week, and who covers the rest.
• Ask the hospice for its after-hours phone line and expected response time in your city.