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Jannyh Asked November 2020

Palliative care vs Hospice. Should they be coming more often?

I am caregiver for my husband who has several medical issues plus alzheimers.
We have Palliative care for him, but they only come once every 6 months.
He has Pullmonary Fibrosis, Alzheimers , copd, heart valve surgery, is on warrfarin plus 3 hip surgeries in the last year and half. Seems like they should come more often. Doctor said he would qualify for either Palliative or Hospice

funkygrandma59 Nov 2020
You can contact the Hospice agency of your choice to have someone come out to see if your husband might qualify for Hospice at this time, and if he does you can start using their services.

Back in early 2018, I contacted a Hospice agency to see if my husband would qualify, and was told by them that he didn't, but that he would qualify for their Palliative care, which would include a nurses visit once a month, and they would make the transition to Hospice care down the road if needed. Well I didn't do anything then, but in Nov. 2018, my husband ended up with aspiration pneumonia, sepsis, and septic shock, and almost died several times. He survived, but ended coming home completely bedridden, and under Hospice care where he remained for 22 months, until his death in Sept.

So you may want to either follow up with the agency you're already with, or contact another one. Just know that being under Hospice care still only means a nurse coming out once a week to check vitals, and an aide about twice a week to bathe your husband. Most of their other services like massage, music, and volunteers have been suspended because of Covid. So you still would be responsible for 99.9% of your husbands care.

Bless you for taking care of your husband. It's very hard. I know. But it's worth it in the end. My husband got his wish to die at home, and that makes it all worth while for me. Stay strong and make sure you are taking care of yourself too.

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