Why would a person be taken in and out of hospice?

Hospice is no longer for end of life only. Some patients do recover and don't need their services. In the case of my 97 year old mother who lives in ALF, she was put on Hospice because of Stage 4 heart and kidney failure. She's not going to get better, but for now she is definitely not bedridden or in pain. Hospice regulates her medications and does what they can to make her life pleasant and comfortable. Hope this helps.

As long as there is a "documented decline" a person will be recertified for Hospice.
If there is no decline then they can not be recertified.
This is why as a family member and a caregiver you should document all changes you see or are told about.
The person used to be able to talk in sentences...now it is a few words.
The person used to be able to be understood when talking ...now it is mumbles or now it is just sounds.
Weight loss. You do not need a scale for this, clothes fit looser, the belt has moved a notch or two.
On the other end, Weight gain if it is due to fluid retention or other medical conditions related or unrelated to the diagnosis.
Not being able to stand on their own when they used to be able to stand
Sleeping more, used to sleep 9 hours but now takes a 3 hour nap mid day and still sleeps 9 hours at night.
Choking or coughing when drinking. Or used to thicken drinks to "nectar" thickness now have to thicken to "honey" thickness.
Any little change you see should be documented and told to the Hospice nurse when she or he comes to do the recertification.
They want to keep someone on Hospice they do not look for ways to discharge someone so every bit helps.
And you are right it can, it is frustrating to be discharged from Hospice. You get used to the help, the education, the support and it is hard to do this alone. So if your loved one is discharged as soon as it is possible to get them back on Hospice make the call...again.

In order to be admitted as a hospice patient, you must show clear signs of being six months or fewer from death. Medical professionals do not take this lightly; hospice services are already over-scheduled. Modern medicine is based on science and numbers, but it is also a guessing game. At the end of the day, every person’s health and ability to survive under adverse circumstances is different.

I have personally experienced the “hospice bounce” with a loved one and was so grateful for that glorious, precious extra time. My loved one wanted very much to survive, she had a very strong will to live and was defying science.

Now that she is gone, I look at those days with great appreciation.

I know now that it is a scary time and wish you the best. You will feel somewhat deserted. Your true friends and reliable family members will see you through this storm and you will survive.

I am currently helping with a woman who has home hospice care. She is in a very rural area. Before she had hospice care she was alone all day until her 53 yr. old son came home from work. She was at end stage COPD, and completely emaciated when she was admitted to hospice. No- one thought she would live longer than a month, but now 5 months later, she is still going. I have cut back my hours, but I was working with her around 35 hours a week. I think having a compassionate person there with her has made a huge difference. The hospice team is so kind, and she receives excellent comfort care. She may or may not bounce after 6 months, but she can be re-assigned. The main thing I have learned from this is that no-one truly knows when the end is, and it's best to stay in the present and try to enjoy every precious moment. Hospice is a gift, and people should take advantage of it for as long as possible.

Did getting hospice actually help you or your LO? Is it possible that they tried to help you both by giving you a bit of support, even if they knew that it wasn't really justified? If that's a possibility, just try not to treat hospice as a 'death sentence' that upsets you.

Ive dealt with hospice services with several relatives. What they've told me is a patient can go in and out of hospice as many times as needed, or stay as long as needed, as long as the expected prognosis is probable death in 6 months or less. But, as others have stated in this forum, we do not know the exact time of death, it is an impossible thing to predicate. Hospice is there to provide comfort and dignity to patients during end of life. And they will provide services as long as someone is experiencing end of life symptoms, certified by a doctor.

People do go in and out of hospice because sometimes their depression leads them to be less supportive of their own care and then they’d get out of their depression and they do better. In the state of California if you’re under hospice you get financial benefits to where they will pay for some things for you so in that sense it’s good. usually yhey can stay on their meds too. It used to freak me out too but being in the business long enough now, I know it’s more common thsn one thinks. Doesn’t always mean the end is that eminent. But it can. Ugh. I’m sorry I don’t think that was very helpful but I tried!

Happened to my brother once. He was released from hospice. Went in fairly soon afterwards and did die. I guess so they can enjoy the little time that is left. I’m not sure. Others may have better understanding of this.

I have done the bounce with 2 LOs. The one had been getting blood transfusions every month before using a med to spawn new blood cells, Hospice improved his life he lived 2 years instead of 2 months. We got hospice the second time, he died in 6 hours. Other was on hospice twice, ALZ, gained weight each time. She is now in a LTC facility. I now have a 3rd LO on hospice, CHF. The defibrillator was repeatedly firing for true lethal rhythms. It was deactivated after 3 shocks within an hour. Medication was used to convert a normal heart beat. He was put on new meds and put on hospice. Doctor said it could be days or months. 2 months out he is doing so well (probably the new medication , talks of discharge are happening. These were all hospice cases that had less than 6 months diagnosis. Hospice does have supportive care and palliative care programs, also.
As another noted, don’t get caught up on it being the end, but the quality of life and family support, and comfort.

Yes, it's a rollercoaster...

In old age, it goes like that, too. Never know when someone is getting close to dying or not.
And depends what state you're in regarding the hospice.

My mom had over 20 near-death experiences before she actually died. She was on *in-home* hospice for over a year and a half.
She always looked normal and could walk/talk, so people didn't understand...
She was evaluated at every 6 months to continue or not. There was a little weight loss each time, and the "episodes" continued, so they kept her on...
If you are taking her to a hospice facility, then that may be a totally different story...