One of the things I loved about Acara Hospice was that they came by the nursing home every single day and brushed Dad's teeth, combed his hair, cleaned him, lotioned his face, arms, and legs, etc. It was great. He had so much more personal attention than the nursing home could provide.
You can sign up for hospice if they evaluate your loved one and determine that there is a greater than 50% chance of them dying in 6 months or less. If that changes, your loved one can graduate off of hospice. So there is no reason to delay that evaluation. It's just extra care they are getting.