When to Call Hospice for Elderly Adult

Most people think hospice is a scary word. They associate it with the end of life, which, while accurate, does not provide the full picture. There are many misconceptions about hospice, including when to call hospice care, which this article hopes to alleviate. 

When is Hospice Recommended?

There are so many challenges that come with caring for your loved ones as they near the end of their lives including determining when to contact hospice. Understanding what exactly hospice is may help. 

Hospice care is for patients a doctor determines have less than six months to live. Rather than treating an illness, hospice focuses on pain management, comfort and quality of life. Hospice care can take place in an elderly person’s home or in a facility, and the care is almost always 100% covered by insurance – including nursing care, bereavement counseling, and support for family members and caregivers. 

Here are some signs to help you know when you should call hospice:

• Treatment is no longer working or aggressive treatment is no longer wanted. Sometimes the exhaustion and side effects related to treating a terminal illness can feel more challenging than the illness itself. Additionally, they may not be helping enough to warrant continuing treatment. Comfort care and pain management may be more beneficial.
• A patient’s overall health is worsening. Frequent trips to the doctor’s office or emergency room are important signs that overall health may be declining. This is especially true if the patient is frequently experiencing shortness of breath, pain or nausea that are affecting quality of life. 
• Lack of appetite or difficulty eating and drinking. Pain or nausea, or normal weakness due to aging, may be making it difficult to eat. As the body nears the end of life, it needs less nutrients, and appetite naturally declines. This can also lead to rapid weight loss.
• Increased sleeping. Terminally ill patients generally sleep more often than they are awake, and can be tired or sluggish even when awake. 
• Behavior or cognitive changes. If you start to feel like your loved one just isn’t acting like themselves, this should be taken seriously. Confusion, forgetfulness, and irritability can all be signs of when to call hospice for your elderly loved one. 
• Daily life activities become difficult or impossible. When self-care activities like feeding oneself, using the bathroom, hygiene and dressing become difficult, hospice care can help. 
• Caregivers and loved ones are overwhelmed. It is so important to remember that hospice is meant to support everyone, not just the patient nearing the end of their life. Hospice not only takes over the care of your loved one, it also provides respite support, like volunteers to sit with your loved one so they are never alone, but you can take a well-deserved and guilt-free break. 

Hospice care is not just for the last few days of life – it is a support system for the terminally ill and the people around them. It is not scary, rather it is an act of love to help your loved ones feel comfortable, safe, and pain free as they reach the end of their life. Additionally, if the situation changes, hospice can be stopped and started again later. 

As with all end of life conversations, including what kind of care your loved ones want and how long they want to stay in the home, it is best to talk about hospice before it becomes an urgent situation. Make sure everyone in the family knows their loved one’s wishes and is on the same page. The doctor or primary care provider can be a helpful part of the conversation. Emotional and physical care for the most peaceful end of life possible is always the priority.