Do You Know That Hospice Care is Available for Dementia Patients?
Hospice is a program that offers specialized care for end-of-life situations. Most people think of Hospice in connection with cancer, but Hospice care is available for people of all ages with many terminal diagnoses including Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias when the patient meets the established criteria for Hospice care. Hospice programs operate in the home, in assisted livings, in nursing homes and/or in established in-patient Hospice residential facilities.
Both of my parents were hospice patients at the end of their lives. My father died at home with Hospice care after a very short bout with an aggressive cancer; mom died in a nursing home with complications secondary to Alzheimer’s disease. Mom met the Hospice criteria because of significant weight loss.
The criteria for Hospice Appropriateness : END STAGE DEMENTIA
* Patients with dementia must show all of the following characteristics:
1. Stage seven (7) or beyond according to the Functional Assessment Staging Scale (FAST.)
2. Unable to ambulate without assistance.
3. Unable to dress without assistance.
4. Unable to bath without assistance.
5. Urinary and fecal incontinence, intermittent or consistent.
6. No meaningful verbal communication, stereotypical phrases only, or ability to speak is limited to six (6) or fewer intelligible words.
7. Patients must have had one of the following within the past 12 months:
* Aspiration pneumonia
* Pyelonephritis or other upper urinary tract infection
* Septicemnia
* Decubitus ulcers, multiple, stages 3-4
* Fever, recurrent after antibiotics
* Inability to maintain sufficient fluid and caloric intake with 10% weight loss during the previous six months or serum albumin greater than 2.5 gm/dl.
If you think your loved one is eligible for Hospice care you may request an order for care from your physician, or call a local Hospice for an assessment. Most people make the mistake of waiting too long to call. To make the best use of Hospice services call as soon as you think it may be appropriate.
In Minnesota, you can learn more about Hospice care by contacting Hospice of the Twin Cities, 763-531-2424. Their website is: http://www.hospiceofthetwincities.com
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