Should I try Hospice again?
Mom was on hospice when she moved into the AL in Jan of this year. Then she had to go off when she fell in Feb and broke her leg (hospice doesn't' allow for surgery to fix anything).
I never put her back on because she was doing well.
Last month she started to go downhill and I wasn't getting any response from the doctor, so I called hospice. The first time, they pulled her medical records and said she qualified over the phone, just sent a nurse out to do the intake. This time they said they had to send a doctor. The doctor said she didn't qualify, so I guessed that they changed their criteria for admission.
Now I feel like she might be near the end of life, but am not sure if it's worth calling Hospice. Her doc has changed and increased her meds for pain as of 2 days ago, but she is still miserable, looks terrible and is under 95 lbs. Today they said they had ordered a hat to send her poop to the lab because they think there is blood in her stool. She pooped in her pull up today and it looked all green to me, so I don't really know what they mean. I don't even know how she can poop since she is not eating. She is not interested or hungry and eats a few bites and either says she is full or doesn't want anymore. This has been going on since prior to hospice saying she doesn't qualify.
I just don't know what to do. She says she's not giving up on life, but she won't last if she's not eating. She really couldn't express herself today, so I don't know what she wants. She was crying and moaning and couldn't answer whether she wanted to sit or stand or needed to use the bathroom or not. She is currently at level 2 and I think is really on her way to level 3/total care with diapers and not pull ups because she doesn't have the strength to stand on her own. She thinks Chapstick is heavy!
I want her to be happy and comfortable and she is not. My sister and husband say try hospice again, but honestly what will they do? Is it worth me throwing a fit to get her back on it? Maybe this is just how it is at the end of life.
18 Answers
Popular Questions
Related Questions
- My mom was just put on hospice there are a lot of family members involved. I work in the healthcare field specifically with the elderly.
- When do I need to transition to hospice care from in-home care?
- My mother was put on hospice this week and is rapidly declining. I want to move her out of her nursing home. Can I do this?
- Mom (96) in hospice for low sodium. She lost 25lbs in two months and sleeps all day, but heart and breathing are fine. Is hospice a mistake?
They will do the bath and some of the other things that the AL does now. So if AL currently gives her a bath the CNA from Hospice will do that. She will not get double the baths.
The Hospice will provide supplies for her.
You can contact another agency. Or ask to talk to someone else and have her reevaluated.
Many people will go off Hospice for one reason or another and go right back on. One of the reasons that Hospice will drop someone if they go into the hospital is because the hospital will be billing Medicare and any other insurance and Hospice can not bill while the hospital is billing.
If she does not qualify for Hospice during the evaluation she can go on Palliative Care and in most cases the same Team that she would have for Hospice would see her on Palliative and they would recommend Hospice when she declines to where she would meet criteria for Hospice.
Edit: I see there is only 1, call them and explain what is going on and ask how to get her qualified. Maybe her doctor should make the referral. How could they say no when a physician makes the referral.
I would try to get her on hospice. They can help make her comfortable and help you understand what is happening, as it happens.
I'm sure there is a more professional medical way to put how we expel waste from our bodiesn but that's part of it.
Call her Dr
If she doesn't qualify for Hospice then she will qualify for Home Health which is actually better and does everything that Hospice does and more.
They will send Aids out 3 times a week to do showers/bedbath, ect and a Nurse will come out once a week and a Nurse Practioner will come out once a month and
RX's will be ordered for her which is nice so she doesn't have to leave the house.
There are lots of different Hospice and Home Health, just check with Dr and see which of the two he suggests.
Then call Insurance and tell them what you want.
She should be on Hospice or Home Health.
I like Home Health but if it's important you get free diapers, the use of a Hospital Bed, walker and potty chair then go with Hospice.
Not eating and drinking is part of the dying process but as Seniors get older, they start having trouble swallowin.
My 96 yr old Dad started having that problem.
I switched him to a soft diet where he didn't have to chew much and added a bottle of Ensure or any meal reacement drink like it.
Milk,
Juice,
Yogurt,
Oatmeal,
pancakes,
Applesauce, Avocado,
Banana,
Sweet Potato, Mash Potatoes,
Ice Cream.
He would also eat Ritz Peanut Butter Crackers and Little Debbie Mini Muffins.
Seniors are like Babies, they eat a little but often like every 2-3 hrs.
Seems like she would qualify for hospice. Please ask the hospice nurses which doctors are amenable to work with. Get an appointment for your mom with one of them. The doctor will be able to get her the hospice orders she needs for comfort care.
You don't have to see red in the poop for there to be blood in it. The best way to send in a poop sample is to get one of the labs sterile specimen cups. Use a clean plastic spoon to scoop a couple of spoonsful into the cup. Try not to touch the inside of the cap or cup with your hands.
Are the meds her doctor gave her managing her pain? If so, I would not worry too much about hospice. If she's in pain, talk to her doc again for ideas. If he can't keep her comfortable, I would call hospice again. Is there another hospice agency or facility you could try?
Also I'd see about something for the crying and moaning. Of course that could be pain but could it also be from anxiety, etc.? If so, maybe an anti-anxiety would make her calmer and more comfortable.
I think it is amazing how much people who are barely eating or drinking still have coming out of their bodies!
In my limited experience with Hospice, they helped immensely.
If they will allow her back in the program, why not?
If it doesn't work out, she will be discharged. From my point of view, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain (all the support, equipment, meds).
Key is enlisting the support you need with the best possible care for her mom, too. This sounds like a win-win to me. They will make her as comfortable as possible and I am sure this is what you want. Gena / Touch Matters
See All Answers