Hospice Support in East Palo Alto, CA: Caregivers at Home

Local figures

Hospice Support in East Palo Alto, CA: the local picture

36

Medicare-certified hospices serve East Palo Alto ZIP codes

117

residents 85 or older (0.4% of all residents)

12%

of residents 65+ in households live alone (21% in San Mateo County)

38%

of residents 65+ report a disability (28% in San Mateo County)

Medicare lists 36 hospices whose service area includes East Palo Alto ZIP codes, the nearest offices being Meridian Hospice in Newark (7.3 mi) and Pathways Home Health And Hospice in Sunnyvale (8.3 mi).

368 East Palo Alto residents 65 or older live alone (12% of those in households). Someone on hospice who lives alone usually needs added hours of help between the hospice team’s visits.

East Palo Alto compared with San Mateo County and California

Census figure	East Palo Alto	San Mateo County	California
Residents 85 or older	0.4%	2.5%	1.9%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	12%	21%	23%
Residents 65+ with a disability	38%	28%	33%
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	7.8%	8.3%	9.3%
Residents 65 or older	10%	18%	16%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	20%	9.0%	12%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$85,417	$103,766	—

Older residents in towns around East Palo Alto

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Live alone (65+)
Menlo Park, CA	1.2 mi	5,421	29%
Stanford, CA	3.4 mi	692	19%
Atherton, CA	3.8 mi	1,793	15%
North Fair Oaks, CA	3.9 mi	1,662	18%
West Menlo Park, CA	4.5 mi	476	23%
Palo Alto, CA	5.0 mi	13,369	27%

Hospices serving East Palo Alto

Hospice	Office	Distance	Phone
Meridian Hospice	Newark, CA	7.3 mi	(510) 573-3866
Pathways Home Health And Hospice	Sunnyvale, CA	8.3 mi	(408) 730-5900
Kaiser Foundation Hospital Hospice-Santa Clara	Santa Clara, CA	11 mi	(408) 342-6699
Prohealth Home Care, Inc	San Jose, CA	11 mi	(408) 451-9090
Affinity Hospice Care, Inc	Hayward, CA	12 mi	(510) 519-9285
Best Hospice Provider, Inc.	Hayward, CA	12 mi	(510) 783-4468

Straight-line miles from the center of East Palo Alto. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a caregiver for hospice support can help with

Comfort, company and a calm presence
Gentle personal care and repositioning
Small meals and fluids as the person wants
Telling the hospice nurse about changes

Cost

What hospice support costs in East Palo Alto

At the California minimum wage of $16.90 an hour (the May 2025 median aide wage, $16.50, is now below it), 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,465 a month in wages, which is 21% of the $7,118 monthly median income of East Palo Alto households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. California's minimum wage is $16.90 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see How to get paid to care for a family member in California: IHSS, VA, Paid Family Leave.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a caregiver for hospice support

Under Medicare, hospice is for someone whose doctors certify a life expectancy of six months or less and who chooses comfort care instead of treatment to cure the illness. Medicare does not cover room and board for hospice care at home (Medicare.gov).

Questions worth asking: Have you cared for someone at the end of life? How do you work with a hospice nurse? Can you sit overnight in the last days if needed? More in our hospice support guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Hospice Support in East Palo Alto: common questions

How much does hospice support cost in East Palo Alto?

At the California minimum wage of $16.90 an hour (the May 2025 median aide wage, $16.50, is now below it), 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,465 a month in wages, which is 21% of the $7,118 monthly median income of East Palo Alto households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. California's minimum wage is $16.90 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Who qualifies for hospice under Medicare?

Someone whose hospice doctor (and regular doctor, if they have one) certifies a life expectancy of six months or less, and who accepts comfort care instead of curative treatment (Medicare.gov).

More near East Palo Alto

More senior care near East Palo Alto

Hospice Support in nearby cities

Other care in East Palo Alto

More for East Palo Alto families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

In-Home Hospice Support in East Palo Alto, CA