The Benefits of Hospice Care: More Than Just Comfort

Receiving a diagnosis of a terminal illness can be incredibly difficult, not only for the recipient but also for their loved ones. It can be a time filled with emotional, mental and even physical stress as you move forward through unknown territory. While everyone has a unique experience, hospice care offers an option to manage the many challenges and improve quality of life for the patient. This article will explore hospice care and help explain who/when someone is qualified to receive it.

What is Hospice Care?

Hospice care provides comfort and support for individuals and their families through their final stages of a life-limiting illness. The goal of hospice care is to ensure the patient is experiencing the highest quality of life possible while remaining as comfortable as possible.

Who Qualifies for Hospice Care?

Though there isn't a strict timeline for hospice eligibility, a patient will usually qualify if they have been diagnosed with an incurable illness and/or they have chosen to discontinue further treatment. The main qualification is a diagnosis with a life expectancy of six months or less. Patients often will continue to live and receive care past the 6 months, however. Receiving hospice care does not have to be a permanent decision either, some patients will discontinue hospice care and elect palliative care instead, which focuses on remaining comfortable while also receiving medical treatment.

There are a few common terminal illness diagnoses that will qualify a patient for hospice care that have additional eligibility requirements. Some of the more common that we see within the senior community include:

Alzheimer's Disease: Dementia and Alzheimer's can be looked at as a terminal illness where a person declines over a matter of years. Patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's or other dementias are considered eligible for hospice care when they start to need assistance with ambulation, dressing and bathing; when they start to experience incontinence; or when they are no longer able to speak or communicate competently (usually when speaking is limited to 6 or fewer intelligible words). Hospice care will assist with keeping the person comfortable, managing any pain they may be having and offer emotional support to the patient as well as their family. If a loved one needs hands-on assistance with any ADLs (activities of daily living), some families will elect to also utilize a home care agency for respite with these tasks so the family can focus on being present for their loved on in other ways.
Cardiac Disease: Individuals with a cardiac disease diagnosis are considered eligible for hospice care if they are in the end-stage of congestive heart failure. Hospice-eligible criteria may also include: they have severe shortness of breath (dyspnea), they cannot carry on any physical activity without symptoms and/or the presence of uncontrolled edema. Hospice care will assist with managing these symptoms to ensure the individual's quality of life.
Pulmonary Diseases, including COPD: Meeting hospice eligibility requirements when diagnosed with a pulmonary disease can be complicated. Some of the main criteria can include: 1) Sever chronic lung disease is present 2) Hypoxemia is evident 3) unintentional weight loss of more than 10% body weight 4) resting tachycardia of > 100 per minute. The first step to understanding eligibility for lung disease is to request an extensive evaluation of your loved one's medical history. Having all of the necessary information available will help make understanding the hospice eligibility requirements more manageable.

Is Hospice Care Right for You?

The choice to move forward with hospice care is ultimately up to the individual and their family once they have confirmed eligibility. Consider some of these factors when deciding if it is the best decision for you:

Focus on Comfort: Hospice care will prioritize symptom management and keeping your loved one comfortable over treating an underlying diagnosis.
Emotional Support: Not only will physical symptoms be considered, but also the emotional and spiritual needs of the individual and their family members.
Support for Family: Many hospice programs include bereavement support and include social workers as well as counselors to help loved ones through the difficult times. They can also provide resources and support following hospice care.

Additional Support Options

While home care agencies like Visiting Angels do not provide direct hospice care, we work closely with hospice agencies to provide services that work together. In-home care support focuses on tasks like personal cares, light housekeeping, meal preparation and companionship for the individual as well as respite for family. Please reach out with our contact form or by giving us a call at 952-935-0789 if you are currently working with a hospice agency and are in need of added support, or if you are in the beginning stages of starting hospice care. We are here to help you and your loved one(s) find the best possible care options for your needs.