My mother has just been approved for hospice care in the nursing home. Anyone with similar experience?

My mother was on hospice for three months in her nursing home. One difference is that hospice made decisions about her medications and could implement those decisions immediately instead of waiting for the NH doctor. The same with equipment. When they decided she needed a different bed and a geri chair she had them within hours. No need to be sure insurance would cover the items.

In addition to the volunteers the NH had, hospice provided volunteers who did things like give mom a manicure, push her on a walk, play cards with her. She had more attention.

My mother regained her strength on hospice and was discharged from the program after 3 months. She lived another 2 years. She was not on hospice when she died -- she went suddenly and quickly.

I have looked at hospice. This is what I learned.

The in-home insurance will pay for a home aide up to $180 per day ...OR they will pay for hospice. NOT BOTH. So, hospice here also does not have in facility beds...so it would have to be in home hospice.

Also, because my Dad served during a time of war, in a theater of war, and his extremely old age..,,he is eligible for "gold program" in home care from the VA. The nurses come to him. O.T. And P.T. Come to him. All that stops with hospice

They way I see it is this...hospice means my Dad loses a great deal and gains very little if anything.....

Some one give me an idea of what hospice does that the VA nurses and in home aid do not already do

DeberaB, your description of Hospice in the NH sounds exactly, to the letter, what my mom is getting in Hospice. She has end stage Alzheimers and was placed in Hospice care at the NH several weeks ago. It means some extra visits during the week, an extra aide a few days a week for additional baths. She also has a chaplain that visits her every few weeks. There's a social worker assigned to us, but so far we haven't heard anything from the social worker. We also understand that Hospice can "take over" the next time mom gets an infection or has some other difficulty that would normally make the NH jump up and send her to the hospital for.

My late Mom [98] had Hospice while living in long-term-care. Having that extra set of eyes was so comforting. Mom passed peacefully.

Couple days ago my Dad [95] was placed on Hospice and he lives in a memory care facility. This is all so new for me again, even though I had went through it with my Mom last fall. With my Dad's this was quite sudden. This time I have my Dad's two favorite caregivers taking turns being with him during the day [Mom refused caregivers when she and Dad lived at home]... he responds to their voices as they both have been with him for a year. I know I can go home to rest [I am senior myself] knowing Dad is in excellent hands.

Hospice is a great help to patients and families at the end of life. The goal is to make people as comfortable and pain free as possible. Hospice will usually offer companionship visits, respite care to give families a break, grief consuling, in addition to the medical services. Good luck to you.

That sounds great. I hope others who have had nursing home/hospice experiences will chime in.

It is my understanding she will have an RN case manager who visits her 2 times a week. The case manager also meet with the physician every two weeks. She will be visited twice a week by a CNA do will help with showers and other personal needs. They also provide a social worker, Chaplin, massage therapist in pet therapy if desired. I feel my mom has been over medicated for some time now and they will now become The Advocate to have that evaluated. She already has received a new bed and a new wheelchair and one of the largest advantages for me is that the case manager will contact me after each visit to give me an update.

Provided BY hospice, that should say. When we explored Hospice options, it did not seem that there was much they would provide that nh didn't already give her.

I have not signed my mom up for Hospice yet, although she is eligible. What services will be provided Hospice?