Would you consider mom, end stage Alzheimer’s w/ no memory or bowel control but can feed herself & has broken hip, a candidate for hospice?
Would you consider a person like this a candidate for hospice? My mom is 80 years old and lived with me. She has no memory and almost no bladder and bowel control. Now she has broken her hip. Would you recommend hospice at this point?
Hospice is palliative care, it’s just to make your mother comfortable. Also hospice provides medication, or a hospital bed, but whatever you needed to care for her.
As I remember from the last year of my mom's life ...2019-2020...the guideline seems to have become much stricter...like, your loved one has to practically be on their last breath. I think this is because the hospice system is becoming overloaded and there is a shortage of staff, along with funds to pay for all of the at-home supplies that hospice typically offers.
I’m not sure if she would be a candidate, my mom had to be actively dying for them to place her on hospice (but they allowed her to stay on it long term for years after she improved). But, after saying that, I would still see if she could be placed on it! Hospice was a wonderful addition to my moms healthcare. It won’t hurt to ask.
Certainly ask the doctor about it. He can make the recommendation and suggest hospice places, however the decision is really up to the hospice provider.
My mother was already into year 4 at MC. She was living life about 40 years ago. Initially she was mobile and mostly continent (accidents were more because she couldn't get undressed fast enough. Even later, in briefs, she would go or ask to be taken to the bathroom.) Eventually she went with a rollator and a little over a year ago moved to a wheelchair (mainly due to inactivity and fear of falling, not because she really needed it.)
Just around Labor Day, she had a stroke. It affected her dominant side, making self-feeding and pivoting difficult. The nurse requested hospice. They sent someone off-hours who just looked at mom's records. Because of the virus, her April 2020 physical was missed, so the records were over 1.5 years old. They denied. The MC nurse stayed on top of them, scheduled a TeleHealth and had them come back. They denied again.
When I contacted them myself, their big excuse was that she hadn't lost weight in the last 6 months! Really??? I pointed out that she didn't have a stroke 6 months ago, she JUST had it! Nurse had OT/PT come in to help mom learn to eat and pivot, but that isn't much help with dementia! Nurse was STILL adamant, managed to get a weight on her and demonstrate that she DID lose weight. Finally they agreed.
So, if you don't get desired results from doc or hospice, STAY on top of them. Make them come back. Get a documented weight, etc. There are Medicare rules regarding hospice, so they do have to go by those, BUT I've seen others who were more "with it" than mom, older, still mobile, able to use TV remote AND a phone, yet they were on hospice!
Also note that once approved they will provide some supplies (like briefs, wipes), medical equipment (like hospital bed, hoyer lift), some assistance (like bathing), and medications/treatments to keep them comfortable, BUT if they are on other medications and you want those to continue, you will have to provide those, either through their supplemental insurance or buying them yourself.
i think she would benefit and so would you if you are trying to care for her at your home. I haven’t personally had experience with family in need, but have had friends that have and friends who did receive hospice and it was much easier on both the caregiver and the patient. The hospice workers were supportive and truly cared for the patient and the family.
Hospice will come and assess the need. I have had my father in hospice since June 2020. At the time he was dressing himself and able to walk around the yard with someone watching from the distant to make sure he wouldn't wander off. Hospice has been great support for me. They listen to me so I don't feel so isolated.
Discuss this with her doctor, she might be eligible for Palliative Care which is a precursor to hospice. They keep the patient comfortable and monitor pain.
This is a question for your Mom's doctor. We can't know her comdition, her underlying illnesses, her history, her prognosis. Please discuss this with the doctor. For myself, I have already made known in advance directive that advanced alzheimers, the loss of my memory and my ability to make my own decisions, would be reason alone for palliative comfort care ongoing. I can't know what discussions you have had with your Mom, nor what her wishes for end of life care might be. Do remember that being a Hospice patient doesn't mean the removal of food, or other things your Mom still enjoys. Please discuss all this with your Mother's doctor. If you are dissatisfied with the answers do ask for consult with a gerontologist.
Yes, of course. Being at the end stage of a terminal disease is always a good time to ask her doctor to write an order for a hospice evaluation. The worst that can happen is they tell you she's not 'ready' yet as they feel she has longer than 6 months to live.
Wishing you the best of luck with a difficult situation.
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My mother was already into year 4 at MC. She was living life about 40 years ago. Initially she was mobile and mostly continent (accidents were more because she couldn't get undressed fast enough. Even later, in briefs, she would go or ask to be taken to the bathroom.) Eventually she went with a rollator and a little over a year ago moved to a wheelchair (mainly due to inactivity and fear of falling, not because she really needed it.)
Just around Labor Day, she had a stroke. It affected her dominant side, making self-feeding and pivoting difficult. The nurse requested hospice. They sent someone off-hours who just looked at mom's records. Because of the virus, her April 2020 physical was missed, so the records were over 1.5 years old. They denied. The MC nurse stayed on top of them, scheduled a TeleHealth and had them come back. They denied again.
When I contacted them myself, their big excuse was that she hadn't lost weight in the last 6 months! Really??? I pointed out that she didn't have a stroke 6 months ago, she JUST had it! Nurse had OT/PT come in to help mom learn to eat and pivot, but that isn't much help with dementia! Nurse was STILL adamant, managed to get a weight on her and demonstrate that she DID lose weight. Finally they agreed.
So, if you don't get desired results from doc or hospice, STAY on top of them. Make them come back. Get a documented weight, etc. There are Medicare rules regarding hospice, so they do have to go by those, BUT I've seen others who were more "with it" than mom, older, still mobile, able to use TV remote AND a phone, yet they were on hospice!
Also note that once approved they will provide some supplies (like briefs, wipes), medical equipment (like hospital bed, hoyer lift), some assistance (like bathing), and medications/treatments to keep them comfortable, BUT if they are on other medications and you want those to continue, you will have to provide those, either through their supplemental insurance or buying them yourself.
Hospice has been great support for me. They listen to me so I don't feel so isolated.
Please discuss all this with your Mother's doctor. If you are dissatisfied with the answers do ask for consult with a gerontologist.
Wishing you the best of luck with a difficult situation.