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Candy22 Asked March 2023

Has anyone used palliative care vs hospice care? Pros and cons.

End stageALZ husband violent and no facility wants him😥 Healthy otherwise. Hospitalized and trying to regulate meds to calm from violence.
What med worked on anyone who was violent?
Psy consult is moving him off Xanax and more Seroquel.
thanks so much!

funkygrandma59 Mar 2023
I guess my first question would be, have you even checked to see if your husband qualifies for either palliative care or hospice?
Just because he's violent doesn't qualify him. I know there are medications to help calm him down though I've not personally had to deal with that, so don't know the names.
But to answer your initial question, palliative care is for someone who doesn't yet qualify for full hospice care and they will send a nurse out once a month to check on your husband. That's about all they offer at that point.
If and when your husband would qualify for hospice care they will have a nurse come out once a week, aides to bathe him at least twice a week, and you'll have access to a social worker, chaplain and volunteers to visit him.
They will also supply any needed equipment, supplies and medications and all this is covered 100% under your husbands Medicare.
So bottom line is, palliative care is really not worth it,(unless all you need is for a nurse to check on him once a month)but hospice can be if you get a good agency as they're not all created equal, so do your homework.
Best wishes in getting things figured out for you and your husband.

BarbBrooklyn Mar 2023
Just to add, this was my Uncle, with terrible PTSD from WWII-- Bhatan Death March.

Got thrown out of private pay Memory Care due to violent outbursts; did better in a locked VA unit with strong antipsychotic meds (not sure if Seroquel or something older like Haldol).

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AlvaDeer Mar 2023
What Are Palliative Care and Hospice Care? | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov)

Doing a search on the above will give you a good short synopsis of the difference. The main difference to be aware of, Candy, is that an MD ordering hospice care must believe that his patient is likely to die within a six month period, AND that the patient has declined further treatment toward cure.
In the case of palliative care there are decision to be made about what kind of treatment is worth trying when weighing the length versus the quality of life, and there is no six month period to be considered. It is not END OF LIFE treatment per se, but it recognizes that there is likely no cure for the patient and that the patient no longer wants to undergo onerous tests and treatments. Palliative care is a specialty with specially trained MDs.
Look up the NIH.Gov definitions. Their site is in general such a good one.
Best of luck to you.

BarbBrooklyn Mar 2023
Why is hospice not the best option?

I would think that a locked facility would be the best option with Hospice care.

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