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Hospice Care

Guiding Light Hospice

Average3-Star CMS Rating

3218 Nacogdoches Rd, San Antonio, TX 78217

For-Profit
12 Years Certified
136 Patients/Day

Contact Guiding Light Hospice

(210) 585-2335Get Directions

3218 Nacogdoches Rd
San Antonio, TX 78217

About Guiding Light Hospice

Hospice overview and quality summary

Guiding Light Hospice is a for-profit hospice care provider in San Antonio, TX, serving patients and families in Bexar County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 2014, Guiding Light Hospice has provided 12 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.

Guiding Light Hospice serves an average of 136 patients per day, covering 110 ZIP codes across its service area. 61% of care is delivered in patients' homes, consistent with the hospice philosophy of enabling comfort care in familiar surroundings.

CMS has assigned Guiding Light Hospice a 3-star quality rating based on caregiver survey feedback, indicating average satisfaction with the hospice's care. The facility's Hospice Care Index score is 10 out of 10, a composite measure of care quality and efficiency. 5 physicians are affiliated with this hospice.

When choosing hospice care in San Antonio, TX, consider quality ratings, caregiver satisfaction surveys, the hospice's experience with your loved one's condition, and the service area. Since hospice care is typically delivered in the home, the responsiveness and availability of the care team are critical factors.

At a Glance

Star Rating3/5 Stars
OwnershipFor-Profit
Certified Since2014
CountyBexar
Avg Daily Census136 patients
Service Area110 ZIP codes
HCI Score10/10
Affiliated Doctors5

Caregiver Satisfaction

CAHPS Hospice Survey results from bereaved family caregivers

3of 5

Average

CMS CAHPS Hospice Star Rating

Guiding Light Hospice has received a 3-star quality rating from CMS, based on the CAHPS Hospice Survey. This average rating reflects caregiver satisfaction across communication, symptom management, timely care, and emotional support. CMS publishes these ratings to help families in San Antonio, TX compare hospice providers.

Emotional & Spiritual Support

How well the hospice team provided emotional and spiritual support

Average
92%

92% of caregivers gave a top rating for emotional & spiritual support, consistent with the national average of 90%.

Treated with Respect

Whether the patient was treated with dignity and respect

Average
88%

88% of caregivers gave a top rating for treated with respect, consistent with the national average of 90%.

Help with Symptoms

How well the hospice team managed pain and other symptoms

Average
74%

74% of caregivers gave a top rating for help with symptoms, consistent with the national average of 74%.

Team Communication

How well the hospice team communicated with the family

Average
80%

80% of caregivers gave a top rating for team communication, consistent with the national average of 81%.

Getting Timely Care

Whether the patient received help as soon as it was needed

Average
75%

75% of caregivers gave a top rating for getting timely care, consistent with the national average of 77%.

Training for Family Caregivers

Whether sufficient training was provided to care for the patient

Average
76%

76% of caregivers gave a top rating for training for family caregivers, consistent with the national average of 75%.

Overall Rating (9-10)

Percentage of caregivers rating the hospice 9 or 10 out of 10

Below Average
77%

77% of caregivers gave a top rating for overall rating (9-10), below the national average of 81%.

Would Recommend

Percentage of caregivers who would definitely recommend this hospice

Average
82%

82% of caregivers gave a top rating for would recommend, consistent with the national average of 84%.

Source: CMS CAHPS Hospice Survey · Vertical markers indicate national average

Quality Process Measures

CMS hospice care quality indicators vs. national benchmarks

Treatment Preferences Documented

Patients whose treatment preferences were discussed and documented

100.0%

Natl: 99.5%

Average

Beliefs & Values Addressed

Patients whose beliefs and values were addressed in the plan of care

100.0%

Natl: 98.3%

Average

Pain Screening

Patients screened for pain upon hospice admission

99.7%

Natl: 98.3%

Average

Comprehensive Pain Assessment

Patients with pain who received a comprehensive pain assessment

92.2%

Natl: 94.8%

Below Average

Dyspnea Screening

Patients screened for shortness of breath upon admission

100.0%

Natl: 99.0%

Average

Dyspnea Treatment

Patients with dyspnea who received treatment within 24 hours

100.0%

Natl: 97.4%

Above Average

Opioid Bowel Regimen

Patients on opioids who were offered a bowel regimen

98.6%

Natl: 93.2%

Above Average

Composite Process Score

Composite measure of all hospice care process quality measures

96.5%

Natl: 91.6%

Above Average

Hospice Care Index

Composite quality score with 10 sub-measures

10/10

Overall HCI Score

National average: 8.8/10

Guiding Light Hospice's Hospice Care Index (HCI) score is 10 out of 10, above the national average of 8.8. This composite score reflects stronger-than-average performance across measures of nursing continuity, care transitions, and presence near death.

66.7% of Guiding Light Hospice's patients received visits from the hospice team in their final days of life, significantly above the national average of 47.9%. This is one of the most meaningful quality indicators — having the hospice team present during the final hours provides critical comfort to both patients and families.

Visits Near Death

Patients with visits in last 3 days of life

95.5%

Natl: 89.5%

65th pctl

Nurse Care Minutes

Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day

9.3

Natl: 13.4

18th pctl

Weekend Nursing

Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends

7.9%

Natl: 9.2%

50th pctl

Gaps in Nursing Visits

Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits

66.4%

Natl: 55.4%

69th pctl

Early Live Discharges

Patients discharged alive within 3 days

5.5%

Natl: 7.2%

43th pctl

Late Live Discharges

Patients discharged alive after enrollment

37.4%

Natl: 40%

52th pctl

Burdensome Transitions (Type 1)

Hospice-to-acute-care transitions near death

13.2%

Natl: 8%

77th pctl

Burdensome Transitions (Type 2)

Acute care admissions near death

1.1%

Natl: 2.3%

51th pctl

CHC/GIP Days

Continuous home care & general inpatient days as share of total

0%

Natl: 0.6%

52th pctl

Per-Beneficiary Spending

Average Medicare spending per hospice beneficiary

$20,158

Natl: $16,971

61th pctl

Patient Population

Primary diagnoses of hospice patients

Guiding Light Hospice's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with dementia (34%), followed by cancer (28%), cardiovascular disease (18%), other conditions (8%), stroke (7%), respiratory disease (6%). Dementia care requires specialized communication techniques and behavioral support, which experienced hospice teams are trained to provide.

Dementia34%
Cancer28%
Cardiovascular Disease18%
Other Conditions8%
Stroke7%
Respiratory Disease6%

Care Settings

Where hospice care is delivered

Guiding Light Hospice delivers 61% of its care in patients' homes, with 20% in skilled nursing settings, 19% in assisted living settings. The hospice serves an average of 136 patients per day.

Patient's Home

61%

Skilled Nursing

20%

Assisted Living

19%

Patient Reviews

Reviews and ratings from patients

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Frequently Asked Questions

About Guiding Light Hospice

What is the CMS rating for Guiding Light Hospice?

Guiding Light Hospice has a 3-star quality rating from CMS based on the CAHPS Hospice Survey of bereaved family caregivers, which evaluates satisfaction across areas including symptom management, communication, and emotional support.

What conditions does Guiding Light Hospice primarily treat?

Guiding Light Hospice's patient population includes dementia (34%), cancer (28%), cardiovascular disease (18%), other conditions (8%), stroke (7%), respiratory disease (6%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.

Where does Guiding Light Hospice provide care?

Guiding Light Hospice provides care in patient's home (61%), skilled nursing (20%), assisted living (19%).

How large is Guiding Light Hospice?

Guiding Light Hospice serves an average of 136 patients per day and covers 110 ZIP codes in its service area.

How many doctors are affiliated with Guiding Light Hospice?

5 physicians are affiliated with Guiding Light Hospice.

Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·