When to prepare

tung714

Hello I am new to this group. Glad to have found it. My father has dementia and is slowly refuses to chew and swallow. He is mostly on bed and cannot move at all.
I am hoping for any type of supports and advises and when I should be prepared for the next steps in his life.

April23

Is he on hospice? They should be able to provide guidance for you.

tung714

Thank you for your reply. No he is not. My mother prefers to keep taking care of him while we help as much. We do have health staff come to check on here weekly. Is this a good time to finally thinking of admitting him into Hospice?

April23

Yes, being bed bound and being unable to swallow means hospice is appropriate. He is at high risk of choking, aspiration, etc. It’s very admirable that you want to care for your father, but IMO, it’s time for help. I’m shocked it hasn’t been suggested already honestly. Hospice is a great resource and you’ll have an entire team of medical professionals at your disposal.

Emily 123

Hello tung714,

Wasn't sure if you knew, but when person is at home (vs. being in the hospital) the family will be the ones to contact hospice companies in the area to come out and assess if the person is ready for hospice. If one hospice turns your dad down you can contact another, but it sounds like he's ready. Here's some information, and you can find threads here using the search option on the upper right hand side of the page.

https://www.capc.org/documents/download/1172/

https://www.alz.org/getmedia/4d551ed8-8a02-4280-be33-15edd54782a7/alzheimers-dementia-medicare-hospice-benefit-ts.pdf

psg712

Your mom and family will still be his primary caregivers. Hospice will be a support for you.