has anyone had to deal with Alzhimers and lung cancer.

ladypeewee

Peewee's  Alzheimer's is progressing . He has started to believe that  live in another town. and that his brother lives with us. He wakes up in the middle of the night and can't figure out where he is at, and wants to know where his brother is.  I talked to his Cancer Doctor today and he says that the cancer can take him in 6 months to 1  year. I don't know how long it will be before I have to call Hospice.

Jo C.

Dear Lady, with six months to a year being a possibility, Hospice would be able to come in and deliver services and support.  All equipment, all services would be at no cost.

There is another option if you feel that you are not ready for Hospice to be your support; and that would be for Palliative Care to come to assist.  They are all about patient comfort and I will find a link I just gave to another Member here re Palliative Care.  With Palliative, a patient can continue to have treatment and be admitted to a hospital; with Hospice that is not usually done except in extreme conditions.  However, with Palliative Care, they do not provide equipment at no cost. Usually, insurance including Medicare and Medicaid will cover this type of care.

  Lady; Hospice is not only about death being imminent; it is for the supportive period prior to that. Most people wait too long for their services.

Peewee's care will be a little more complex due to the dual diagnosis; it would be of great support to have one of these entities provide assistance; the Hospice RNs are available 24/7 should problem issues or questions arise.

J.

Jo C.

Good description re Palliative Care:

https://samaritannj.org/hospice-blog-and-events/hospice-palliative-care-blog/palliative-care-mean-dying/  

J.

dayn2nite2

Agree with contacting a hospice now.

Jo C.

Been thinking of you.  It must be very difficult to deal with all that is happening with Peewee's delusions and confusion on top of his physical needs. 

I do recall your not wanting to contact Hospice earlier after Peewee's cancer diagnosis, however; it would be a good idea and benefit you to make a telephone contact with one or more Hospice entities to get a feeling for their services.

It does not take a doctor's order to contact Hospice or even to have them come out and assess Peewee.  You can look up the local Hospice groups in your area or if you wish, or you can contact the local hospital and ask one of their Case Managers what Hospices they have on  their list.

You can make a call to any Hospice. When the nice person answers the phone, it is NOT that person to talk with - instead, ask to be transferred to the Nursing Supervisor. If the clerk asks what the reason is for the call, simply say it is personal; that will be honored.

You can then let the Nursing Supervisor know that your husband has never had Hospice services, but that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer with about six months or a bit more to live and also has Alzheimer's Disease.   You can ask about their services, discuss Peewee's symptoms, you can ask what they can bring to assist and even what their philosophy of care is. That should give you an idea of what can be done and it should be a lot. If you wish, you can contact more than one Hospice to ask quesions.

I really think that at this point in time, that Hospice would be a great asset. They do not hasten death; their aim is to provide the best quality of life that can be for the time the patient has in life.  Hospice also has physicians that can assist and prescribe as needs evolve.  The RNs are available 24 hours a day and will come in a crisis as well as making routine visits. There will be a bath aide several times a week to bathe, shave and groom Peewee as well as neatening up the patient area.  You will have a Social Worker to assist and to support as well as a Hospice Chaplain if you wish to have a chaplain.  All equipment from beds to wheelchairs, to guerney chairs to lifts, commodes and all else needed will be supplied at no  cost.  You will be provided a medication kit with different meds for different problem issues that may or may not arise.

If the care gets to a level that you cannot manage at home, Hospice can also provide care in a care facility.  If you needed to apply for Long Term Medicaid for facility costs, the Social Worker can assist with that to get you started.  As said, there does not need to be a doctor's order for a Hospice nurse to come to the house and assess Peewee.  If Peewee is accepted to Hospice service, then a physician's order is needed to start services; the Hospice staff will get that order for you.  When services start, it will usually be on  the day Peewee is assessed and you wish to start services.

There is nothing to lose and everything to gain by making a contact.  If you still feel unsure about Hospice, then you can have them place Peewee on Palliative Care if you accept that. However, Palliative will not pay for the equipment, etc.  Lady, if this were me and I am certainly not you - I understand that - I would opt for Hospice to come and assess and then place them into service if all fits into place. But; that is just me. It is not only about Peewee's quality of life being met and supported, it is also about your feelings and quality of life which Hospice will also support.

If you worry about the house or needing to get things in more order as many of us folks do think about, I would not be concerned about that; Hospice sees it all in their work, it is about the people and not anything else.

No matter what you decide, I send warmest of thoughts your way. Please let us know how you are,

J.

Jo C.

Hello Lady Peewee, I am thinking of you today and wondering how you are and how Peewee is doing. 

J.

ladypeewee

Jo C. Peewee and I are both doing ok. So far Peewee has no Pain, I can't even tell that he has lung cancer. He just has a cough. His Alzhimers is getting worse he is starting to talk in his sleep and waking up confused about where he is and thinking that his brother is living with us and sleeping in our bed with us. However he is not and when I tell Peewee that then he seems to remember where his brother lives. He is ok during the day Just later in the evening or after he has gone to sleep and wakes up is when he is most confused. He is still easy to get along with no fighting me. He has starting eating again. He wants Chicken nearly all the time. However tonight for dinner he ate a pork chop and mashed potato and gravy with green beans and said it was very good.

I am now on full Medical leave so I can be with him 24 hours a day. I will be on medical leave till June.

That is what's happening right now. Thanks for asking.

[Deleted User]

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BKay

Hello LadyPeewee,

My husband also has lung cancer and Alzheimer’s. The AD struck first, when he was 56, and then the lung cancer, stage IV, at 60, which was two years ago. 

I know what you’re going through, worrying about pain from the cancer and the heart break of having to tell your husband he has cancer (my husband forgets so I’m assuming yours does too) when he of course wants to know why we’re at the cancer clinic for treatment or why he needs to take the pills he balks at taking. 

We’re at the clinic now getting a PET scan. I could barely get him here this morning because he hates putting on shoes or boots (may have peripheral neuropathy or might just be athlete’s foot).

He’s become delusional over the past few weeks and thinks all the food and drink I give him is killing him. He gets up throughout the night and talks to people and animals only he can see. 

Anyway, each disease makes the other one worse. You both have my sincere sympathy. 

ladypeewee

My Husband's AD started when he was 56 and lung Cancer now that he is 65. His kids and I have decided not to treat his cancer. We have known people that took the treatments and didn't live and the treatments made them so sick. I know some people will think bad of me for not treating him. I just want to make him as happy as I can for as long as I can. His memory is so bad now he can't remember anything we talk about 2 seconds after we talk. He no longer remembers peoples names including the people who lives in our home. So I not putting him through anything else.

dayn2nite2

Ladypeewee, I think of the treat/not treat options, you have chosen what is kinder for Peewee and what will give him the ability to enjoy his remaining days.

It's exactly what I would choose if I were in your shoes.

Mint

You have been thinking about this for awhile and as a family you made a decision that to me seems totally reasonable.  

Take care

Iris L.

Lady Peewee, my mom, who did not have dementia and was completely lucid and rational, had inoperable advanced lung cancer.  She had radiation therapy, but refused chemotherapy, not that there was much available for lung cancer in the 1990s.  She had observed her friends on chemotherapy and said that chemo "tears you up!"  She didn't want that for herself.  I was resistant at first, but came to see that that was the best choice for her, and that it was HER choice.  Instead,  we (mostly my brother) treated her nutritionally with freshly juiced vegetable and fruit juices.  We took complete care of her and removed all stresses.  I believe this gave her good quality of life.  She said she was never in pain.  She was on supplemental oxygen when she became short of breath.  Over that year, we treated anything that came up, including brain metastases, which were treated with more radiation therapy.   My mom was ambulatory until the last three weeks of her life, and she was still lucid on the last day. 

I am writing to let you know that my mom made the same decision as you and Peewee.  

Iris

alzsarah2

I agree wholeheartedly with Jo C. Hospice and palliative care are not used early enough in many cases, or sometimes not at all! They both provide support and comfort to the patient and the family. You can request an evaluation for either. No one can truly predict how long before a person dies. Hospice can be used intermittently if a person improves for a period of time.

Joydean

Lady Peewee, I completely agree with what you are doing. You are keeping your husband comfortable and as you said he is not in pain. That’s all anyone can ask for. Prayers for you and your husband and family. God bless you both.