Starting hospice in Alpharetta or throughout Fulton County can feel like a lot to carry, especially in a new routine at home. You deserve clear answers and a calm, coordinated plan. This guide introduces the hospice care team you will meet, explains how each professional supports your comfort and dignity, and shows how they work together around your goals. You will also see what to expect across the five levels of hospice care, including our Transitional Care program that adds extra bedside support during periods of active decline.
How Hospice Teams Work

Your plan of care is created with you, your family, your physician, and your hospice team. The care team typically includes a nurse, certified nursing assistant (CNA), social worker, and chaplain. Many hospices also involve physicians, volunteers, and a bereavement team. This interdisciplinary model is the national best practice for hospice.
At Golden Rule Hospice, you also have 24-hour on-call nurse support for urgent needs and symptom changes, plus a physician who can advise on comfort medications and adjustments.
Your Hospice Nurse: Symptom Management and Coordination
Your registered nurse is your clinical lead. The nurse:
- Assesses pain and other symptoms such as shortness of breath, agitation, nausea, or anxiety
- Adjusts medications in collaboration with the hospice physician and your primary doctor
- Teaches family members safe ways to reposition, provide mouth care, and track symptoms
- Coordinates supplies and equipment delivery
- Guides you on what to expect as conditions change
Expect regular visits that match your needs. When symptoms flare, visit frequency increases and your nurse may recommend Continuous Care or In-Patient Care under Medicare rules.
Your CNA: Personal Care, Comfort, And Dignity
Certified Nursing Assistants are hands-on experts in daily comfort. Your CNA:
- Provides bathing, grooming, skin care, shaving, and linen changes
- Protects skin, reduces fall risk, and helps with safe transfers
- Notices small changes in comfort that can prompt nurse follow-up
- Offers gentle companionship
CNAs are a key part of our Transitional Care program, which adds extra supportive hours during active decline when you do not meet Medicare’s Continuous Care criteria. This service is unique to Golden Rule Hospice and focuses on comfort and presence so families can be together.
Your Social Worker: Planning, Resources, And Caregiver Support
Hospice social workers support the whole family:
- Navigate practical needs such as advance directives and community resources
- Help with difficult conversations and coping strategies
- Coordinate respite periods so caregivers can rest
- Connect you with volunteer support, counseling, and grief resources
Social workers collaborate with the entire team to update the care plan as your needs change.
Your Chaplain: Spiritual Care For Every Belief
Chaplains offer spiritual and emotional care that respects your beliefs and preferences, including those who identify as nonreligious. Your chaplain can:
- Provide spiritual counseling, prayer, or quiet presence
- Help with life review and legacy work
- Coordinate faith community support if you wish
- Support at the bedside during serious changes and at the time of death
Chaplains work closely with nurses, social workers, and bereavement teams to care for the whole person and family.
Other Team Members You May Meet
- Hospice physician: Advises on comfort-focused treatments, writes prescriptions, and confers with your primary doctor
- Volunteers: Hospice volunteers offer companionship, caregiver breaks, and sometimes music or pet visits.
- Bereavement counselor: Provides grief support for at least 13 months after a death, individually or in groups.
What To Expect During Your First Week On Service
Day 1–3
- Nurse completes a head-to-toe assessment, starts comfort medications if appropriate, and orders equipment like a hospital bed or oxygen.
- Social worker reviews goals of care and any paperwork you want to complete.
- CNA sets a bathing and personal care schedule.
- Chaplain introduces spiritual support based on your preferences.
Day 4–7
- Team confirms that pain and symptoms are controlled.
- Visit cadence is set. Families learn who to call for urgent questions at any hour.
- If symptoms escalate, the nurse may initiate Continuous Care at home or In-Patient Care for short-term stabilization. If there is active decline but Continuous Care criteria are not met, we can add Transitional Care hours for extra bedside support.
How Your Team Coordinates Behind The Scenes
- Shared care plan: Nurses, CNAs, social workers, chaplains, and physicians update a single plan so everyone stays aligned. This team-based approach is standard across quality hospices.
- Regular case review: Your goals guide every change.
- 24-hour response: An on-call nurse can troubleshoot problems at night and on weekends.
When Does Visit Frequency Increase
Your team may visit more often when you have:
- Breakthrough pain or uncontrolled symptoms
- New anxiety or restlessness
- Rapid decline in alertness, blood pressure, respirations, or urine output
In these moments, we can layer in Continuous Care, In-Patient Care, or Transitional Care to keep you comfortable. Learn more here.
Questions to ask your hospice team
- Who is my primary nurse and CNA, and how do I reach them after hours?
- What symptoms should trigger a same-day visit?
- Which medications are for daily comfort and which are for breakthrough symptoms?
- How will the social worker and chaplain support my specific goals and beliefs?
- When would Continuous, In-Patient, or Transitional Care be considered?
Why Families in Alpharetta and Fulton County Choose Us
You deserve a team that shows up with skill and heart. Golden Rule Hospice combines:
- Local, neighbor-like care across Alpharetta, Fulton County, and the metro Atlanta area
- Five levels of care, including our exclusive Transitional Care for extra bedside support during active decline
- 24-hour nursing for urgent questions or symptom changes
- Holistic support for the patient and the family’s mind and spirit
Quick Help for Hospice Care in Alpharetta and Fulton County
Call (470) 395-6567 now. We are local and treat patients and caregivers like neighbors. Request care at our contact page. If you live in Alpharetta, Fulton County, or the metro Atlanta communities we serve, our team is ready with same-day guidance, 24-hour on-call support, and comfort-focused care at home. We are here to help you feel informed and supported.

