Determining Hospice Eligibility for Dementia

cyhaynes

11 months ago

Recently tried to get hospice for mom. Turned down . She is in nursing home care with stage 5 or 6. She still eats okay but has congestive heart failure. Who knows how long, but better nursing home facility has made a world of difference.

JK II

11 months ago

Very helpful and specific info on indicator of approaching end of life--weight loss, difficulty swallowing etc. A friend has been in state 7 condition for more than 2 years, but has no comorbidities. What is less clear is what hospice can do for such patients.

Christina Wi­derstrom

about 1 year ago

Thank you for offering guidance regarding eligibility criteria. Medicine is not an exact science and it is expected that the patient will improve or make gains with hospice care. Transitioning off of Hospice care can be a quality indicator of care provided and should not be interpreted as a sign of inappropriate admission to Hospice Services.

Kay Bailey

about 2 years ago

My mother is dying of dementia. She has been bedbound, incontinent, needing full care for one year. She has been on hospice for two six-month periods. She stabilizes and goes off. This is very difficul for me, the full-time, live-in daughter/caretaker because she is actually dying, but slowly. Their really needs to be in-home palliative care fore this type of patient - reduced services, but still with the same orientation as hospice. Why is this available only in hospitals? Why is it not covered by Medicare? Kay