CA-Sacramento/Amador County Hospice

Jacoland · January 27

hi,

Does anyone know of a Hospice company that will permit the person to stay on their medication for dementia? Thanks

persevere · January 27

Are you talking about aricept and/or namenda? These are the only types specifically to slow the dementia. If you can show that these provide comfort they shouldn’t have an issue. But if you’re LO is too far along they probably aren’t doing him/her any good anyway.

Jacoland · January 28

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/264661#Comment_264661

Donezepil. They said it’s too expensive. It is still helping her. I don’t want her to go without it.

persevere · January 28

Odd. Everything is covered by Medicare under hospice. Unless you’re LO is under 65? You’re not having to pay for hospice out of pocket are you?

Jacoland · January 28

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/264695#Comment_264695

No, I haven’t started yet because every hospice company I’ve talked to said they would stop donezepil. She is 87.

fesk · January 29

Can you discuss with the physician who is prescribing Aricept? Perhaps, he or she can work with hospice and continue to prescribe it. If it is helping, I wouldn't stop it either. When we had hospice years ago (stopped using hospice as my mother improved), hospice didn't make the decisions on the medicine. I made sure to have the doctor we had been working with take care of those decisions.

I'm editing this because I just saw your post that she is having side effects. Speak with the doctor to see if changing the time of day it is taken, taking two 5mg morning and night instead of all at once, or trialing lowering the dose may help. Of course, the lower dose may not be as effective. I believe there is a patch that is the same type of medicine as Aricept that may help. You can ask about that as well.

Jacoland · March 19

Hi Fesk,

thank you for your insightful response. They started her an anti-diarrhea medication, which isn’t helping much. We have new insurance and a new doctor and the doctor is referring her out to a neurologist. I finally feel like we’re on the right path. The last doctor gave her medications that put her in stage for renal failure, which contributes to her confusion. It’s been a rough ride for her.

eaglemom · March 19

I'm following this thread. Very interesting.

What it does prove is that as caregivers we have to be the advocates for our loved ones 100% of the time - which we all know.

eagle

Jacoland · March 20

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/268384#Comment_268384

100%.
I do not think the donazepil is working any more, she has been on it for a year. We have an appointment with a neurologist in a month. Stage 4 kidney disease is not helping matters and she has started to sundown. I’m going to discuss hospice with our new doctor.

CA-Sacramento/Amador County Hospice

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