Alzheimer's Disease Support Group
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration with declining activities of daily living and neuropsychiatric symptoms or behavioral changes. An early symptom is memory loss (amnesia), usually manifesting as minor forgetfulness that becomes pronounced with illness progression, with relative...
With the recent activity with hospice and our members I decide to look up Hospice and understand what it is all about. I thought I would post this, it's from,
http://www.caringresources.org/hospice/how_do_i_know.html
I was surprised at how many of these Rollie qualifies for and yet I do think of him as being close to needing hospice at this time, well, I'll just keep plodding along.
How Do I Know When It's Time for Hospice?
Sometimes it's hard to know when the time has come to consider "comfort care" rather than more aggressive treatment. Here are some questions to ponder:
1. If the patient is still receiving treatment, does it seem that the treatment is no longer helping or working?
2. Has the doctor said something like: "there's no further treatment" or "we've run out of medical options" or "now we'll focus on keeping you comfortable"? These are phrases that indicate the doctor feels the condition is not "curable".
3. Will the treatment prolong the patient's life or will it only postpone the inevitable?
4. Is it possible that the patient is ready to die, but the family is not ready to let go?
5. Has the patient expressed his wishes and made it clear that those concerns have been on his mind?
6. Is the patient consistently short of breath?
Is the patient unable to eat?
Is the patient very fatigued?
Is the patient sleeping a lot?
Is the patient experiencing increasing pain? Needing to take more medication to keep the pain under control?
7. Is the patient able to dress himself? Toilet? Bathe/shower?
8. Do you notice a subtle disinterest, withdrawing or "disconnecting" from life/family/friends?
9. Is it becoming increasingly difficult for the support person / caregiver to take care of the patient? Is more help needed?
10. Are financial issues becoming increasingly difficult?
If you answer "yes" to five or more of these questions, it's probably time to consider hospice care.
Hospice doesn't mean "giving up", but rather changing the focus of care. Hospice care is another treatment option when cure is no longer possible.
Hospice of the Central Coast 831-649-7750
http://www.caringresources.org/hospice/how_do_i_know.html
I was surprised at how many of these Rollie qualifies for and yet I do think of him as being close to needing hospice at this time, well, I'll just keep plodding along.
How Do I Know When It's Time for Hospice?
Sometimes it's hard to know when the time has come to consider "comfort care" rather than more aggressive treatment. Here are some questions to ponder:
1. If the patient is still receiving treatment, does it seem that the treatment is no longer helping or working?
2. Has the doctor said something like: "there's no further treatment" or "we've run out of medical options" or "now we'll focus on keeping you comfortable"? These are phrases that indicate the doctor feels the condition is not "curable".
3. Will the treatment prolong the patient's life or will it only postpone the inevitable?
4. Is it possible that the patient is ready to die, but the family is not ready to let go?
5. Has the patient expressed his wishes and made it clear that those concerns have been on his mind?
6. Is the patient consistently short of breath?
Is the patient unable to eat?
Is the patient very fatigued?
Is the patient sleeping a lot?
Is the patient experiencing increasing pain? Needing to take more medication to keep the pain under control?
7. Is the patient able to dress himself? Toilet? Bathe/shower?
8. Do you notice a subtle disinterest, withdrawing or "disconnecting" from life/family/friends?
9. Is it becoming increasingly difficult for the support person / caregiver to take care of the patient? Is more help needed?
10. Are financial issues becoming increasingly difficult?
If you answer "yes" to five or more of these questions, it's probably time to consider hospice care.
Hospice doesn't mean "giving up", but rather changing the focus of care. Hospice care is another treatment option when cure is no longer possible.
Hospice of the Central Coast 831-649-7750
Like so much else,Hospice has long lists of what you need to qualify for anything.
One of the reasons I am exploring In-Home Hospice and a sort of pre-Hospice program called here in Ma Bridge to Hospice, is that I am absolutely shocked at the decline in my husband in the last three weeks(as is his Adult Day Health staff). He does not know my name or that I am his wife, his walking is starting to have trouble, he is having trouble with eating and drinking.
I know that he is probably right on the cusp of Bridge to Hospice, but seeing how very fast a decline can occur, and especially considering how terrifying my emergency hospitalization of a few weeks ago was, without plans in place, I want to to all the exploratory work and have things as ready to go.
It all takes visits and evals and time.....
For me, when I heard the dx coming out of this summer's hospitalization "sever late stage " there was no going back, or even staying still any more...
I don't know why I resisted it so much in the beginning. I just didn't believe "we" were there. Well.. I might not have been "there" but poor Ron sure was. Even after I finally accepted... I was reluctant to have the shower aid come. After the very first time... I LOVED not having to do that every time.
When your Dr says (or you feel) you are in the end stage .. please accept the help available from Hospice or the pre-hospice programs.
I could kick myself for not doing this sooner. I had such a problem with asking for and receiving help. It was my issue..
can't explain it.
I don't know, Rollie still talks sooo much that it makes me think he isn't that bad BUT then the other things put him in the later stages. While his talking isn't very good, very much word salad, very little makes sense, other things are starting to hit me, like eating, he can still eat and feed himself but he's very messy at it, everything must be chopped up for him, he can only manage a fork or spoon. Lately it seems he will occasionally have trouble swallowing or chewing.
He has an appointment in December so I will see what his doctor thinks.
Also, we were visiting with friends and all three of them commented to me how much he has declined in just the last 6 months. I guess seeing him everyday it isn't so obvious to me.
tx
No one knows but me how far this has gone. Even the kids who see him for a few hours here and there , and I don't tell them of all the regression because i almost feel like it would be a betrayal.
Where has my husband gone? He's gone yet I can't grieve........Who is this person, this shell holding him captive and won't let him go in peace(other than this his health is perfect)............we are both in LIMBO! or HELL! or both.......
He wants me to sell our house and move into "assisted living". I love our home and have no intention of selling it.
The transition hospice program was suggested to me by a nurse that works in a Adult/Medical day care. I have no idea whether he will be eligible but I am praying he will be. Keep your fingers crossed for us and would appreciate a prayer as well.....love you all.....Jeanmarie