Do hospice patients die faster in convalescent home?

lifeexperiences, you asked if Hospice always give pain medicine right away? It depends on what is the illness. Many times people with Alzheimer's/Dementia feel pain but they cannot relate to us that they are hurting.

I am sure that is best for her as long as she can be properly cared for at home - and it sounds like she can. Bless you, my heart is with you

hi golden23, yes we have hospice that comes to the house...that is why i wanted my mother would die at home...she loved her home. thank you!

From what I have read, end of life patients do best staying were they are comfortable, in familiar surrounding, if possible. This did not address the staff giving drugs just the change to an unfamiliar environment. Hospital visits tend to shorten life, thought they may be necessary. My mother is in an ALF very well cared for and on comfort care only with probably a few months left. I have requested that she stay there till the end of at all possible. I recently found out that there is a mobile hospice team (I am in Canada) that will come to the patient if needed. It sounds good to me. The geri doctor said staying in place is best, but if her nursing needs become too great for the staff there, she may have to be moved to an NH.

I am sorry about your mum. This is such a hard time. ((((((hugs))))))

dam, end of life!! i adore my mother...don't want her to die, but don't want her to live like that! very stressful! thanks guys

There are so few Hospice beds available, that they only take the most critical patients first and others have to wait. We never did get an inpatient bed and mom died in a nursing home. She got the same comfort meds as hospice had, so I don't think it made any difference in her case.

Life, there are all sorts of horror stories posted on this site as well as elsewhere where hospice patients have seemingly been medicated without need and rushed off to the end of their life. I think most of those are from people who were in denial about the seriousness of their loved one's condition, or from miscommunication between staff and family. I believe most people's experiences with hospice are very positive ones and medications are only dispensed as needed. Still, it is always wise to be vigilant, and to ask questions if you don't understand or approve of the care given.

no, my mother is not in any pin right now! thank god... does hospice start medicating people as soon as they go there? i once read they did. ???

I would think that no matter how excellent a hospice home may be they can not offer the personalized, one on one care that you can give in the home. That said, if the in home care is falling on one or two people the effort to give 24 hour supervision in the last months, weeks and days can be too much for anyone to bear without lasting consequences to the caregivers mental and physical health. Typically patients are only admitted to a hospice facility during their final weeks, I imagine the difference would only be measured in days.

I don't have this information. I would think it depends on the person and their condition. Is your mother in pain or suffering? Are you trying to lengthen her remaining days? For some people the hospice center is an invaluable option.