Guiding Light Hospice Inc is a Medicare-certified hospice based at 3218 Nacogdoches Rd in San Antonio, TX 78217. It has been certified since 2014. It cares for about 136 patients on an average day, making it a mid-sized hospice. It scores 10 out of 10 on Medicare's Hospice Care Index; the Texas average is 8.4. Family caregivers rate it 3 out of 5 stars. The index flags 2 areas where it is worse than the Texas average, starting with gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days.
What is Guiding Light Hospice Inc's Medicare record?
| Hospice | Guiding Light Hospice Inc |
|---|---|
| Address | 3218 Nacogdoches Rd, San Antonio, TX 78217 |
| Phone | (210) 585-2335 |
| Medicare provider number (CCN) | 741503 |
| Ownership | For-Profit |
| Medicare-certified since | 03/10/2014 |
How does Guiding Light Hospice Inc score on Medicare's Hospice Care Index?
Guiding Light Hospice Inc scores 10 out of 10 on the Hospice Care Index, which counts how many of ten visit, discharge and staffing indicators a hospice meets. Against the Texas average it is better on 1 of the indicators below and worse on 2.
| Indicator | Guiding Light Hospice Inc | Texas average | U.S. average | vs. Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days (lower is better) | 66.4% | 62% | 52.4% | Worse |
| Patients discharged alive within 7 days (lower is better) | 5.5% | 7.6% | 7.3% | About the same |
| Patients discharged alive after 180 days or more (lower is better) | 37.4% | 36.9% | 37.4% | About the same |
| Live discharge followed by a hospital stay and readmission to hospice (lower is better) | 13.2% | 12.1% | 8.5% | About the same |
| Live discharge followed by death in hospital (lower is better) | 1.1% | 2% | 2.1% | About the same |
| Nurse minutes per routine home care day | 9.3 min | 11.6 min | 19.9 min | Worse |
| Share of skilled nursing minutes given on weekends | 7.9% | 7.6% | 9.6% | About the same |
| Patients visited by a nurse in the last 3 days of life | 95.5% | 88.1% | 89.3% | Better |
Separately, 94% of its patients received all seven recommended care steps at admission (Texas average 94.7%) and 66.7% were visited by a nurse or social worker on at least two of their last three days (Texas average 51%).
What do families say about Guiding Light Hospice Inc?
81% of family caregivers said they would definitely recommend Guiding Light Hospice Inc; the Texas average is 83%. The survey goes to the family member who was the main caregiver, after the patient has died.
| Survey question | Guiding Light Hospice Inc | Texas average | U.S. average | vs. Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team always communicated well | 82% | 81% | 82% | About the same |
| Team always provided timely help | 79% | 77% | 78% | About the same |
| Team always treated the patient with respect | 90% | 90% | 91% | About the same |
| Right amount of emotional and spiritual support | 90% | 89% | 91% | About the same |
| Patient always got help for pain and symptoms | 81% | 76% | 76% | Better |
| Caregivers rated the hospice 9 or 10 | 81% | 81% | 83% | About the same |
| Would definitely recommend the hospice | 81% | 83% | 85% | About the same |
Where does Guiding Light Hospice Inc deliver care, and to whom?
61% of guiding light hospice inc's care is delivered at home and its largest patient group by diagnosis is dementia (34%). It has provided levels of care beyond routine home visits, such as continuous care at home or inpatient stays, in the last three years.
| Where care is delivered | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| At home | 61% |
| In a skilled nursing facility | 20% |
| In assisted living | 19% |
| Primary diagnosis | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| Dementia | 34% |
| Cancer | 28% |
| Heart and circulatory disease | 18% |
| Other conditions | 8% |
| Stroke | 7% |
| Respiratory disease | 6% |
Which San Antonio-area ZIP codes does Guiding Light Hospice Inc serve?
Guiding Light Hospice Inc tells Medicare it serves 72 ZIP codes in San Antonio and Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe counties.
- 78002
- 78023
- 78070
- 78101
- 78108
- 78109
- 78112
- 78124
- 78130
- 78132
- 78133
- 78148
- 78152
- 78154
- 78155
- 78163
- 78201
- 78202
- 78203
- 78204
- 78207
- 78208
- 78209
- 78210
- 78211
- 78212
- 78213
- 78214
- 78215
- 78216
- 78217
- 78218
- 78219
- 78220
- 78221
- 78222
- 78223
- 78224
- 78225
- 78226
- 78227
- 78228
- 78229
- 78230
- 78231
- 78232
- 78233
- 78237
- 78238
- 78239
- 78240
- 78242
- 78244
- 78245
- 78247
- 78248
- 78249
- 78250
- 78251
- 78252
- 78253
- 78254
- 78255
- 78256
- 78257
- 78258
- 78259
- 78260
- 78261
- 78263
- 78264
- 78266
What should you ask Guiding Light Hospice Inc before choosing it?
Ask how often the nurse visits
66.4% of Guiding Light Hospice Inc's patients went more than seven days without a nursing visit at some point, against 62% across Texas. Ask for the planned visit schedule in writing and who decides when it changes.
Ask how long nursing visits last
Its nurses average 9.3 minutes per routine care day, against 11.6 minutes across Texas. Ask how long a typical visit lasts and whether the same nurse comes each time.
Ask what the family is expected to do
Hospice supports the family caregiver; it does not replace one. Ask how many aide visits a week are typical and what happens overnight.
Ask how fast they can admit
Ask how soon after the call a nurse can come out, including evenings and weekends, and how quickly medications and equipment arrive.
Which other hospices serve San Antonio, TX?
- Principle Hospice Service LLC — Hospice Care Index 9 of 10
- Amedia Hospice LLC — Hospice Care Index 8 of 10
- Prodigious Hospices LLC — Hospice Care Index 8 of 10
- Journeys Hospice of Texas LLC — Hospice Care Index 7 of 10
- Accentcare Hospice & Palliative Care of Texas -San Antonio — Hospice Care Index 10 of 10
- All Seasons Hospice of Texas — Hospice Care Index 10 of 10
All Medicare-certified hospices in San Antonio and Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe counties
Last verified: November 2026, against the Medicare hospice data release dated 2026-08-07.
Common questions
Is Guiding Light Hospice Inc Medicare-certified?
Yes. Guiding Light Hospice Inc is certified by Medicare under provider number 741503 and has been since 2014.
What is Guiding Light Hospice Inc's Hospice Care Index score?
10 out of 10 in the current Medicare data. The Texas average is 8.4.
How large is Guiding Light Hospice Inc?
It cares for about 136 patients on an average day.
