Hospice care

Hospice for PWD is different than for people with physical terminal conditions. It doesn’t mean that she has only six months. It means she needs extra help with multiple ADLs, is losing weight, falling, needs more visits by professional people etc.

The nurse at the AL and I both agreed my mom needed that extra help. She didn’t qualify the first time she was evaluated. They reevaluated her two months later and she did.

In our case, the problem came because the hospice agency doing that re-evaluation did it the day after the AL nurse left on a two week vacation. Even after I asked them to wait until the AL nurse got back. While the nurse was gone, some clueless AL staff member told she was on hospice. Mom decided that meant she was dying ( she wasn’t) and she made that a self fulfilling prophecy by stopping eating.
There were people at moms’ AL who had been on hospice for much longer than six months. They were not considered to be dying.

A few months ago my LOWD was quite ill, and I started learning more about hospice. What QBC says above is very sound.

It seems that most families agree to hospice quite late, and thus real help that could have been in place earlier isn’t.

Hospice is not a death sentence. A friend whose mom had dementia had two periods of being on hospice care in the two years prior to her eventual death. She was more comfortable during these times and got better. My friend found the hospice nurses to be very helpful and supportive.

This is a hard journey, no doubt about that.

@Anonymousjpl123

I am sorry you have reached this junction.

Both of those sentiments are true to some degree.

For the MCF to suggest hospice indicates they anticipate that she has reached a point in her progression to qualify. This, for family members, can be a sad and shocking milestone. It doesn't mean that death is imminent. My MIL was on hospice continuously for the final 5 1/2 years of her life, by dad managed to die hours after the suggestion was made to me after they were careful to assure me that death could be months or even a year away.

The assertion that it means mom will "get a lot more care" leaves the quiet part unsaid. Hospice services are a necessary part of the business model of any MCF that truly allows residents to age-in-place. Hospice brings in extra help that Medicare funds rather than requiring family to hire additional aides to meet mom's need for enhanced care or raising monthly fees. IN addition to being an extras set of eyes and hands, that extra care should be delivered by professionals who have both experience and training in end-of-life care as it impacts both their patient and the family which can be a huge benefit for everyone.

HB

Hospice provides so many things in addition to extra care for the patient. They have counselors, chaplains and are very knowledgeable about people with dementia. Your Mom may get better and come off hospice or she may need to remain on it. Talk to the hospice nurses if you have any questions or concerns. They are wonderful. 🙏💜

if she’s in a facility or at homeshe will get visits from hospice nurse.if she’s at home hospice does provide numerous services. My mom is stage 5/6 ALZ and she is on Hospice. It has helped! They can see when meds needs to be adjusted, pick up on things you don’t.