I need some info on Georgia State vs US federal hospice code. Mother signed a medical POA while disoriented and with O2 saturation at 43% to her drug addict son.

To clarify: you all agreed to admit her to hospice care while she was competent, correct?

Did you understand that by definition, hospice admission involves certification that the patient has a life limiting diagnosis? And that treatment for that diagnosis will be discontinued?

Is your mother currently in a NH?

No, she is at home. We were told Medicare pays more for hospice care than home health.

As stated below, a physician ordered hospice & you all signed her up for it? Did you mother agree and is she competent? If your mother’s O2 sat was 45% at the time she signed hospice ppwk was your mother on a ventilator? 45% O2 is an emergency. Did you mother agree while under duress?

I guess I am trying to understand why all of a sudden you are doubting your choice. Availability of HH aids?

Your last response appears to allude to hospice being chosen vs home health because hospice pays more for home health.

You all went into this because your mother is terminally ill. What terminal illness does she have?

Do I sense you are changing your mind? Do you not feel comfortable with letting your mother pass away?

If so, discuss this with your brother and see what his understanding of his mother’s care is & if he agrees with the physician that ordered hospice. Involve your mother in the convo as well if, in your judgement, your mother can mentally handle such a conversation.


You state she is in pain. How much and from what? If she is dying and in pain then that’s how hospice treats some terminally ill patients. Surely you did not, as a nurse, think otherwise? Morphine will diminish respirations, yes, but is very effective in managing end of life pain from an illness.

There is quite a lot you can do if you feel this decision to place mom on hospice is the wrong one. But I feel something is missing here. If you are a nurse, you must assess your mother’s illness objectively using clinical judgement vs emotions. If you determine that her illness is end stage and her passing would be due to a natural progression of the disease then stay the hospice course. But if you are doubting the severity of her illness and think she can recover, ask the hospice MD who wrote the order themselves their rationale. If you don’t agree, find another hospice provider

I wish you well!

You could go for emergency guardianship if you have the $ and medical records to prove that she was in such bad shape when she signed the POA...