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Caldinea Asked November 2022

Frequently asked by hospice, "Do you need any supplies?" Anyone have advice on what can be requested?

So, every week someone from hospice asks, "Do you need any supplies?"


Uhm, maybe? Sure? What do you mean by supplies? What can I order? There's apparently no answer for that.


"Is there a list?" No, there is not a list. So apparently our hospice company was just absorbed by another hospice company. There is no list of "commonly needed items"or "approved items", etc.


The CNA was like ,"At least before we could look things up on Medline but now..." and I get a vaugely frustrated shrug from a girl that really needs to worry less about this and focus more on what she can do as a CNA.


The nurses are equally flummoxed. (is that the right word?) So like, skin prep? Allegedly? But it never arrived so I had to order some from Amazon before my mom's red spot with teeny little scab-y areas ballooned into something huge (I caught that just in time) slides/chucks, diapers, wipes, sure. (though I told the girl my mom is 80lbs soaking wet and they sent adult mediums. Is the diaper mafia looking for adult mediums? I've got you covered.)


Dry shampoo suddenly went from a yes to a, "uhhh maybe". I have no idea what else is even available or on offer or common useful or needed for a patient at my mom's state. (End stage COPD. Can still walk around a bit. 5-10 steps comfortably, could run out if there's a fire but won't get further, as movement goes. Adrenaline actually can make her run around in circles but that's a different story for a different day o.o)


So as I have read through enough here to see just how agitated a lot of folks are with hospice, and for the record yes the hospice company we had, now absorbed by someone else, also seem to be becoming agitated with their own existence o.o before at least these decent nurses/aides quit in a rage, does anyone here have a cheat-sheet of the "covered stuff" that is usually get-able for someone in hospice care?


Thanks. Also I'm about three millimeters from a nervous breakdown. :D

lealonnie1 Nov 2022
Both my parents needed supplies such as a hospital bed, incontinence briefs, chucks, wipes, robber gloves, ointments, sponges for wetting down their lips when they stopped eating, supplies that prevented them from getting bedsores when they were bedbound, mom needed a different wheelchair that tipped back and prevented her falling out of it, a bolster pillow to prevent mom from falling out of bed, catheter supplies for when they were catheterized, an oxygen tank (both portable and a concentrator), things like that.
Caldinea Nov 2022
... let me guess. I'm not at actually prepared for what "You'll never have to go into a home mom, I promise" is going to actually entail, am I. Eek. :/

Thanks for the info <3
cxmoody Nov 2022
Besides that list, my mother gets:

Chux pads
Pull-ups
white barrier cream
Gloves
Caldinea Nov 2022
Thanks -- I'll nag them again for barrier cream. I got these barrier wipe things, which I mean I guess they work as well but maybe the cream would be easier to deal with instead of having little packeted wipes.

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BarbBrooklyn Nov 2022
https://samaritannj.org/resources/hospice-education-materials/hospice-medical-equipment/

Check out this list.
Caldinea Nov 2022
Thanks! I'm in PA so I'm going to guess it isn't too different (as hospice is medicare covered anyway) <3

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