Margaret got the call on a Tuesday afternoon. Her father’s cancer had progressed, and the oncologist recommended transitioning to hospice care at home. She had 72 hours before the hospice team arrived. Standing in her father’s bedroom she realized she had no idea how to handle a hospice bedroom setup at home.

If you’re in Margaret’s shoes right now, take a breath. You’re not alone. In 2024, 53.1% of all Medicare decedents received hospice care; the first time a majority of Americans on Medicare chose hospice at the end of life.¹ That means hundreds of thousands of families face this exact moment every year.

And getting the room right matters more than you might think.

This guide walks you through the complete hospice room setup: choosing the right room, selecting a bed that actually provides comfort, creating a safe and peaceful environment, (and often forgotten) making space for yourself as a caregiver. The goal isn’t to create a medical facility. It’s to create a space where your loved one feels safe, comfortable, and still very much at home.

Choosing the Right Room for Home Hospice Care

The first decision is which room to use. Most guides say “pick a ground-floor room,” and that’s solid advice if stairs are a concern. But don’t stop there.

Think about what your loved one will see every day. A room with a window overlooking the garden, the street, or the sky gives them connection to the world outside. Natural daylight does more than brighten a room — a 2008 randomized controlled trial in JAMA found that bright light exposure reduced depressive symptoms by 19% in older adults in care facilities and slowed the rate of cognitive decline.² Maximizing controllable daylight through adjustable blinds supports your loved one’s natural sleep-wake cycle and emotional wellbeing.

Proximity matters, but not just to the bathroom. Choose a room close to where family life happens. Being near the kitchen, the living room, or wherever people gather helps your loved one feel included — not isolated in a back bedroom. Many families convert a dining room or first-floor study for exactly this reason.

Space for visitors and caregiving is essential. The Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) recommends at least five feet (60 inches) of clear space on the designated transfer side of the bed to allow safe repositioning and equipment use.³ In practical terms, the room needs enough floor space for a comfortable chair or two beside the bed, room for a small side table, and clear pathways for the hospice team to move around with equipment. The ADA Accessibility Standards recommend maintaining a minimum clear pathway width of 36 inches for all walking surfaces.⁴

Bathroom access should be direct and obstacle-free. If the nearest bathroom requires navigating a hallway, make sure the path is well-lit and uncluttered. A bedside commode is a practical alternative if bathroom proximity isn’t possible.

Hospice Bed Setup: Selecting the Right Bed

Here’s something no one tells you about setting up hospice at home: the bed your loved one spends their final weeks or months in will define their comfort more than any other single decision you make. And the standard rental bed that hospice provides? Many families find it falls short.

The rental bed problem. Under the Medicare hospice benefit, the hospice agency is responsible for providing all necessary medical equipment related to the terminal illness, including a hospital bed.⁵ These beds are functional, but caregivers consistently report the mattresses are thin and uncomfortable. On caregiver forums, families describe rental mattresses as “absolutely terribly uncomfortable” — and some experience genuine distress.

One daughter shared that her six-foot father couldn’t roll over in the standard 36-inch-wide hospital bed without triggering panic attacks. The narrow frame left him feeling trapped. They eventually moved him back to a regular queen bed just so he could sleep peacefully. That trade-off — comfort vs. clinical features — shouldn’t be necessary.

What actually matters in a hospice bed:

Head and knee elevation. Your loved one will spend significant time in bed. The ability to raise the head helps with breathing, eating, and conversation. Knee elevation reduces lower back pressure.
Height adjustment. A bed that raises and lowers makes transfers safer for both your loved one and their caregiver. The FGI recommends a pre-programmed transfer height to reduce caregiver injury during repositioning.³ A bed that lowers to 10 inches or less at the platform reduces the risk of injury from falls.
Width. Standard hospital beds are 36 inches wide. For many adults, that’s uncomfortably narrow. A 39-inch or 48-inch bed gives room to shift positions without feeling confined.
Positioning capabilities. A Cardiac Chair position — head up, knees bent — helps breathing for those with respiratory conditions. The ASCO clinical guideline on managing dyspnea recommends upright positioning as a non-pharmacological intervention for breathlessness in advanced cancer.⁶ Leg elevation can help manage swelling, and the ability to adjust positions throughout the day reduces stiffness and discomfort.
Quiet motors. Loud mechanical sounds disrupt sleep and remind everyone that this is medical equipment. The World Health Organization recommends background noise levels below 30-35 decibels at night to protect sleep.⁷ Quiet operation preserves the feeling of home.
Mattress quality. A pressure-redistribution mattress prevents pressure injuries, which develop quickly when someone spends extended time in bed. Memory foam conforms to the body and relieves painful pressure points. The thin mattress that comes with most rental beds does neither well. SonderCare’s Dream Bamboo Quilt-Top Mattress ($1,299) features Visco memory foam with a cooling gel layer and fluid-proof cover, while the Alternating Pressure Air Mattress ($2,999) provides active pressure redistribution through 18 air bladders for those at higher risk of skin breakdown.

Your options beyond the rental. You’re not locked into the bed hospice provides. If you already own a quality adjustable bed or home hospital bed, you can keep it — hospice doesn’t require you to use their equipment. Some families invest in a premium home hospital bed like the SonderCare Aura Premium ($6,999) that provides every clinical positioning capability — including FallSafe Ultra-Low Height (10″ platform), Trendelenburg, Zero Gravity, and Cardiac Chair positions — without making the bedroom look clinical. The 39-inch sleeping surface gives three extra inches of width over standard hospital beds, and the furniture-grade design with upholstered panels means it looks like a bedroom, not a facility.

For couples who want to remain side by side, the SonderCare Aura Companion Bed ($12,999) provides a split-king configuration where each side operates independently, so one partner can have the head elevated for breathing while the other sleeps flat.

Quick comfort upgrades for any bed: If you’re working with a rental, add a memory foam topper (at least 3 inches), soft flannel or fleece sheets, and thin bolster pillows between the knees and under the heels. These small changes make a meaningful difference. SonderCare’s Organic Cotton Sheet Set ($169) is designed specifically for hospital bed dimensions and provides the softness of 300-thread-count certified organic cotton.

Questions about which bed is right for your situation? Our care bed experts have helped thousands of hospice families find the right fit. Call for a free consultation any time.

Creating a Safe Hospice Room at Home

Safety takes on specific meaning in a home hospice care bedroom. Falls are a leading injury risk for older adults, and many happen during transfers in or out of bed or on the way to the bathroom at night.

Clear the pathways. Remove throw rugs, loose cables, and any furniture that narrows the walking path. The ADA Accessibility Standards recommend maintaining 36-inch-wide pathways, and all doorway thresholds should not exceed half an inch in height to prevent tripping.⁴ Secure or tape down electrical cords and oxygen tubing along walls and away from walking paths.

Install lighting for nighttime. Motion-activated nightlights along the floor path between bed and bathroom reduce fall risk without disturbing sleep. SonderCare’s Underbed Auto-Nightlight ($219) activates when feet touch the floor and provides floor-level illumination that doesn’t disrupt sleep. The International Commission on Illumination recommends keeping nighttime light exposure below 10 lux at eye level to avoid suppressing melatonin production.⁸

Bed rails need thought, not assumptions. The FDA’s guidance on adult bed rail safety warns that improperly used rails can create entrapment zones between the rail and mattress, potentially leading to serious injury.⁹ Half-length rails that protect the upper body while leaving a clear exit path are safer than full-length rails for most hospice patients. Ask your hospice nurse which configuration is right. SonderCare Aura beds include Multi-Height Assist Rails designed to eliminate entrapment gaps.

Keep essentials within reach. A call bell or baby monitor lets your loved one alert you without trying to get up. Place the phone, water, medications, TV remote, and tissues within arm’s reach on a sturdy bedside table or overbed table. SonderCare’s Extra Large Overbed Table ($789) provides a generous surface on wheels for reading, meals, medications, and personal items.

Bathroom modifications. If your loved one can still use the bathroom, install grab bars near the toilet and in the shower. A raised toilet seat and shower chair reduce the effort and risk of falls. Non-slip mats inside the tub or shower are essential.

Making a Comfortable Hospice Room: Lighting, Sound, Temperature, and Scent

The sensory environment of the room affects your loved one’s comfort, mood, and sleep quality every hour of every day. This deserves real attention.

Lighting. Harsh overhead lights make any room feel institutional. Replace them with warm-toned LED bulbs (2700K-3000K range) or use bedside lamps with dimmer switches. During the day, open curtains to maximize natural light — a 2023 randomized clinical trial found that a tailored lighting intervention delivering high circadian stimulus during the day significantly improved sleep quality, increased sleep duration, and reduced depressive symptoms in older adults with dementia.¹⁰ At night, blackout curtains help with sleep while a soft, warm-toned nightlight prevents total darkness.

Sound. Silence can feel isolating. A small speaker playing soft music, nature sounds, or audiobooks gives your loved one something gentle to focus on. Personalized music is especially powerful — a Cochrane Review found that reminiscence therapy incorporating personal music and meaningful items can improve quality of life, communication, and mood.¹¹ Ask your loved one what songs they’d like to hear.

At the same time, minimize jarring sounds. The WHO recommends nighttime noise levels below 30-35 dB in care environments, with peaks no higher than 40 dB.⁷ Place noisy equipment like oxygen concentrators as far from the head of the bed as possible, and use vibration-dampening pads underneath them. Put phones on vibrate, close windows facing busy streets, and avoid loud conversations just outside the room.

Temperature. The WHO Housing and Health Guidelines recommend a minimum indoor temperature of 18 degrees C (64 degrees F) for general health, with higher temperatures of approximately 20 degrees C (68 degrees F) for vulnerable populations including those who are ill or very old.¹² The ASHRAE/FGI healthcare design standards specify 70-75 degrees F (21-24 degrees C) for patient rooms.¹³ A practical target is 68-72 degrees F, but provide options: a fan for air circulation, an extra blanket within reach, a small space heater if needed. Your loved one’s individual comfort matters more than any guideline. Frail individuals often have impaired thermoregulation, so check in frequently and provide layers for easy adjustment.

Scent. This is the detail everyone overlooks. Clinical smells — antiseptic, rubber, plastic — constantly remind your loved one they’re receiving medical care. Counter this with familiar, gentle scents: a lavender sachet in a drawer, a lightly scented candle (unlit — use a wax warmer for safety), or simply fresh air from an open window. Avoid strong fragrances, which can trigger nausea.

Color and visual environment. You can’t repaint the room overnight, but you can add warm-toned textiles: a soft throw blanket in calming blue or sage green, curtains that complement the space, pillowcases that feel like home rather than hospital. These small visual cues signal “bedroom,” not “facility.”

Personal Touches That Preserve Dignity

This is the heart of it. Everything else in this guide serves one purpose: helping your loved one feel like themselves, in their own space, surrounded by what matters to them.

And the research backs this up powerfully. A 2023 meta-analysis found that life-review and reminiscence therapy — which uses personal photos, meaningful objects, and life stories as triggers for positive reflection — led to substantial improvements in quality of life (SMD = 1.07, p < 0.001) and life satisfaction (SMD = 1.12, p < 0.001) in older adults.¹⁴ A 2024 randomized controlled trial found that individualized reminiscence therapy for palliative care patients resulted in significant reductions in mental and general distress.¹⁵

You don’t need a formal therapy program to apply these findings. The simple act of surrounding your loved one with their meaningful items activates the same psychological pathways.

Keep their things visible and accessible. Family photos on the nightstand or wall. Their favorite blanket on the bed. The book they were reading. A plant they’ve been tending. These items anchor your loved one to their identity and their life — not their diagnosis.

Maintain routines where possible. If your father always watched the evening news, set up the TV so he can. If your mother enjoyed her morning tea by the window, bring it to her there. Small routines provide normalcy in a time that feels anything but normal.

Give them control. A simple remote for the TV, the bed controls within reach, a way to adjust the light. Every small choice your loved one can make for themselves preserves autonomy and dignity.

Don’t over-medicalize the room. Medical supplies are necessary, but they don’t need to dominate the visual space. The Facility Guidelines Institute recommends designing care spaces to accommodate equipment “as unobtrusively as possible” with supplies stored “out of the resident’s line of sight.”³ Use closed containers, a rolling cart with drawers, or a decorative screen to keep supplies accessible but visually subdued. Keep the oxygen concentrator tucked to the side, not center stage — just ensure vents are never blocked.

The goal is a bedroom that happens to have medical support — not a hospital room.

Organizing for Care: Medications, Supplies, and Records

Any hospice bedroom setup at home involves medications, supplies, and documentation. Without a system, things get chaotic fast — and chaos adds stress during a time when every ounce of your energy matters.

Create a medication station. Dedicate a small table or shelf near the bed for current medications, a pill organizer, a medication schedule, and a notebook for tracking doses and symptoms. Your hospice nurse will adjust medications frequently, so keep the station easy to update.

Stock a supply caddy. A rolling cart or bedside caddy should hold: gloves, underpads, wipes, lotion, lip balm, oral swabs, extra linens, and any wound care supplies. Having everything at arm’s reach means you won’t leave your loved one’s side during care tasks. SonderCare’s Convenient Rail Organizer ($89) attaches directly to the bed rail for reading materials, remotes, and smaller essentials.

Maintain a care folder. One binder with: hospice team contact numbers, the care plan, medication list, advance directives, insurance information, and a daily log. When a new hospice worker arrives for a shift, they can review everything in one place. This also helps if you need to call 911 or speak with the physician.

Post a daily schedule. A simple whiteboard or printed schedule on the wall showing when medications are due, when the hospice nurse visits, and any other appointments reduces the mental load of tracking everything in your head.

Making Space for the Caregiver

Most guides on hospice room setup focus entirely on the patient. But here’s the truth: if you’re the primary caregiver, you need to take care of yourself to take care of them. And the room setup directly affects your ability to do that.

A comfortable place to sit and rest. A recliner or upholstered chair next to the bed lets you be present without standing for hours. If you’re staying overnight, a daybed or fold-out cot in the room means you can rest nearby without leaving.

Your own supplies within reach. A small basket with your phone charger, a water bottle, snacks, a book, and headphones. Caregiving involves long stretches of quiet vigil. Having your own comfort items prevents you from neglecting yourself.

Accept respite care. Most hospice programs offer respite care — a trained volunteer or aide who sits with your loved one so you can shower, nap, run errands, or simply breathe. Use it. Setting up the room so someone else can step in (with clear supply locations and care instructions posted) makes respite care seamless.

Watch your own body. Repositioning, transferring, and daily care are physically demanding. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Safe Patient Handling and Mobility guidelines emphasize that proper bed height adjustment is critical for reducing musculoskeletal injuries during caregiving tasks.³ A bed with adjustable height saves your back during every interaction. The SonderCare Aura’s hi-lo adjustment range (10 to 39 inches) and pre-programmed 21-inch transfer position mean you’re never bending over a bed that’s too low or reaching up to one that’s too high. If you’re bending over a low bed multiple times a day, you’ll feel it within a week.

This is one of the most practical reasons to invest in a quality adjustable bed.

Working with Your Hospice Team

Your hospice provider is your partner in this process. Understanding what they provide — and what falls on you — prevents surprises.

What hospice typically provides: Under the Medicare hospice benefit, the hospice agency covers all medical equipment and supplies related to the terminal illness — including a hospital bed, basic mattress, bedside commode, wheelchair or walker if needed, and medications related to the hospice diagnosis.⁵ They also provide nursing visits, aide visits, social worker, chaplain, and volunteer support.

What you typically provide: The room, personal bedding and comfort items, non-hospice medications, food, personal care products, and the daily hands-on caregiving between professional visits.

You don’t have to accept their equipment. If you own a hospital bed or prefer to purchase one, you can decline the hospice-provided rental. Many families don’t know this. One caregiver on AgingCare shared: “If you OWN the hospital bed then you can keep the one you have.” If the rental equipment arrives and it’s inadequate, you can also request a different model or supplement it.

Ask the hospice evaluator these questions:
1. What specific equipment will you deliver, and when?
2. Can we keep our existing bed/equipment?
3. What’s the process if the bed or mattress isn’t comfortable enough?
4. How quickly can you replace or upgrade equipment?
5. What’s covered by hospice vs. what we pay for ourselves?

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use the bed hospice provides?

No. If you own a hospital bed or home hospital bed that meets care needs, you can keep it. The Medicare hospice benefit provides a rental bed as part of their coverage, but it’s not mandatory.⁵ If you prefer your own equipment, let the hospice team know during the evaluation visit.

How do I make a hospice rental bed more comfortable?

Add a memory foam mattress topper (3-4 inches thick), use soft flannel sheets instead of institutional linens, place thin bolster pillows between the knees and under the heels, and use a fleece blanket as a base layer under the torso to prevent skin irritation from sheet creases.

Can hospice care be done in any room of the house?

Yes. While bedrooms are most common, many families set up hospice care in a dining room, den, or living room — especially if those rooms are on the ground floor with better accessibility. Choose whichever room offers the best combination of space, natural light, bathroom access, and proximity to family. The FGI recommends at least five feet of clear space on the bed’s transfer side for safe caregiving.³

What does hospice provide vs. what do I need to buy?

Hospice provides medical equipment (bed, commode, walker), medications related to the terminal diagnosis, nursing visits, aide visits, and support services. Families provide the room, personal bedding, non-hospice medications, food, personal care items, and daily caregiving between visits.

How do I keep a hospice room from looking like a hospital?

Focus on three things: use residential-quality bedding instead of institutional linens, store medical supplies out of sight in closed containers or behind a screen, and keep personal items prominent — photos, books, a favorite blanket, familiar decor. Choosing a home hospital bed with furniture-grade design rather than a clinical rental makes the single biggest visual difference in any hospice room setup.

Creating a Space of Comfort and Love

Setting up a hospice bedroom at home isn’t just logistics. It’s an act of love. Every decision — from which room to use, to the softness of the sheets, to the photo on the nightstand — tells your loved one: you matter, you’re home, and you’re surrounded by people who care.

Start with the bed. It’s the foundation of everything. Get the safety and comfort right there, and everything else builds on top of it. Add the personal touches that make the room theirs. Create space for yourself as a caregiver. And lean on your hospice team — that’s what they’re there for.

You don’t have to get everything perfect before the first night. This is something you’ll adjust and improve as you learn what your loved one needs. The families who do this best aren’t the ones with the most expensive setups — they’re the ones who pay attention, ask questions, and keep comfort and dignity at the center of every choice.

If you have questions about choosing a bed for home hospice care, our care bed experts are available to help. We’ve guided thousands of families through this decision, and we understand the weight of it. Call us any time for a free consultation.

References

NHPCO / Alliance for Care at Home. “Facts & Figures 2025: Executive Summary.” Alliance for Care at Home, 2025. https://allianceforcareathome.org/resource/2025-facts-and-figures-executive-summary/
Riemersma-van der Lek RF, et al. “Effect of bright light and melatonin on cognitive and noncognitive function in elderly residents of group care facilities: a randomized controlled trial.” JAMA, 299(22), 2642-2655, 2008. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/187726
Facility Guidelines Institute. “Application Guidance: Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Design Criteria.” FGI, 2016-2022. https://fgiguidelines.org/application-guidance/
U.S. Access Board. “ADA Accessibility Standards.” https://www.access-board.gov/ada/
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 9 – Coverage of Hospice Services Under Hospital Insurance.” CMS. https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/Downloads/bp102c09.pdf
Ferrell BR, et al. “Management of Dyspnea in Advanced Cancer: ASCO Guideline.” Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2021. https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.20.03465
World Health Organization. “Night Noise Guidelines for Europe.” WHO, 2009. https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289013545
International Commission on Illumination. “CIE Position Statement on Non-Visual Effects of Light: Recommending Proper Light at the Proper Time.” CIE PS 2020. https://cie.co.at/publications/position-statement-non-visual-effects-light-recommending-proper-light-day-and-night-2nd
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “A Guide for Modifying Bed Systems and Using Accessories to Reduce the Risk of Entrapment.” FDA, 2023. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/hospital-beds/guide-modifying-bed-systems-and-using-accessories-reduce-risk-entrapment
Figueiro MG, et al. “Effects of a tailored lighting intervention on sleep, mood, and behavior in older adults with Alzheimer disease and related dementias.” Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2023. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10759231/
Woods B, et al. “Reminiscence therapy for dementia.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 3, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001120.pub3
World Health Organization. “WHO Housing and Health Guidelines.” WHO, 2018. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241548625
ASHRAE / ASHE / FGI. “ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170: Ventilation of Health Care Facilities, Table 9.1 Design Parameters.” 2017. https://fgiguidelines.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/170_2017_n_20200303.pdf
Pinquart M, Forstmeier S. “Effects of life review and reminiscence therapy on psychosocial outcomes in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Behavioral Sciences, 13(10), 830, 2023. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/10/830
Bozkurt C, Yildirim Y. “The effectiveness of reminiscence therapy on symptom management, life satisfaction, and self-transcendence in palliative care patients: randomized controlled trial.” Supportive Care in Cancer, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-024-08626-9

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How to Set Up a Comfortable Hospice Bedroom at Home