Hospice began in Whiteside County in 1982 with a group of volunteers who recognized a need for this type of service in our communities within the county. The group became known as Whiteside County Hospice Association and was incorporated in June of 1982 and became a certified Medicare Hospice provided in 1993.

In the mid-90s Whiteside County Hospice and Sauk Valley Hospice, operating in Dixon, merged and began operating as Hospice of the Rock River Valley.

As the service area population aged and the demand for hospice services increased, Hospice of the Rock River Valley saw the need in our communities for a hospice home. In 2014, it was announced that a new hospice home would be built in Sterling on land donated by the Richard & Juanita Prescott Family. A groundbreaking was held in early 2016 and construction began in November of 2016 on the new facility. Rock River Hospice & Home (formerly Hospice of the Rock River Valley) officially opened a 6-bed inpatient hospice home along with a new location for their current outpatient services and administrative offices.

Rock River Hospice & Home remains a 501c3 charitable organization run by a local board of directors, and funded by Medicare, Medicaid, Insurance, private donations & memorials, and local organizations such as United Way.