First of all, thank you for your answer Thanklessjob. He has everything needed to take care of him at home. Nurses, awesome bed, suction machine, etc. Thank heaven for the VA. I appreciate the info and we will use it when we speak with Hospice.
May I express my sympathies for your son and your family on his devastating illness. (Per the ALS website; ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neuro-degenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Military veterans are approximately twice as likely to develop ALS.)
Hospice will explain how it works. Usually, there are no hospital visits except for comfort measures. You can treat the pneumonia with meds and other modalities (oxygen, aerosol treatments, percussion) at home. If you feel he should go to the hospital for treatment, as Veronica91 said, they would discharge him from hospice care (because he's getting treatment in a hospital) and when he comes back home, hospice can reinstate him into service.
Is your son taking Riluzole? Does he have a home suction machine that his wife could use to get the secretions from his mouth and throat? If he gets a fever and can't swallow, can she give Tylenol via a gastrostomy tube or suppository? She (or anyone) can function as the nurse at home. Family members are even giving medication through intravenous lines at home these days. The type of care (home or hospital) really is up to him. God bless you all.
This is tomwar. I was referring about my son. He has ALS and his wife and I will be meeting with hospice in a few days. Now, when has a fever or pneumonia she takes him to the VA hospital. He is totally paralyzed and his visits are getting much more frequent. I thank all of you for your answers.
Per Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library; "Pneumonia is an infection of one or both of the lungs caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or airborne irritants. There are more than 30 different causes of pneumonia, and they're grouped by the cause. The main types of pneumonia are bacterial, viral, and mycoplasma pneumonia. Pneumonias may (also) be caused by other infections, or that result from inhaling food, liquid, gases or dust. Treatment depends on the type of pneumonia you have. Most of the time pneumonia is treated at home, but severe cases may be treated in the hospital. Antibiotics are used for bacterial pneumonia. Antibiotics may also speed recovery from mycoplasma pneumonia and some special cases. There is no good treatment for viral pneumonia. It usually gets better on its own. Other treatment may include eating well, increasing fluid intake, getting rest, oxygen therapy, pain medication, fever control, and maybe cough-relief medication if cough is severe."
(Me speaking) That said, it also depends on the age of the patient, their physical condition, any other illnesses (that could complicate recovery), nutritional status, weight, etc.
So it's practically impossible to say where his recovery will take place and how long it will take. The doctor will take all of the above into consideration and decide how to best treat him. Usually, the hospital would be for intravenous antibiotics or the assistance of a ventilator (if the patient was in respiratory distress). I've had pneumonia 3 times in my life and was able to stay home every time. Good luck to him.
If he is in hospice they will treat or not at home -your choice. If you want hospital treatment they may discharge him and re admit when he comes home. If he breaks a hip and is otherwise not within a few days of death he will be treated in hospital.. Almost anything can be treated at home if you have the will and the expertise
Hospice will explain how it works. Usually, there are no hospital visits except for comfort measures. You can treat the pneumonia with meds and other modalities (oxygen, aerosol treatments, percussion) at home. If you feel he should go to the hospital for treatment, as Veronica91 said, they would discharge him from hospice care (because he's getting treatment in a hospital) and when he comes back home, hospice can reinstate him into service.
Is your son taking Riluzole? Does he have a home suction machine that his wife could use to get the secretions from his mouth and throat? If he gets a fever and can't swallow, can she give Tylenol via a gastrostomy tube or suppository? She (or anyone) can function as the nurse at home. Family members are even giving medication through intravenous lines at home these days. The type of care (home or hospital) really is up to him. God bless you all.
"Pneumonia is an infection of one or both of the lungs caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or airborne irritants. There are more than 30 different causes of pneumonia, and they're grouped by the cause. The main types of pneumonia are bacterial, viral, and mycoplasma pneumonia. Pneumonias may (also) be caused by other infections, or that result from inhaling food, liquid, gases or dust. Treatment depends on the type of pneumonia you have. Most of the time pneumonia is treated at home, but severe cases may be treated in the hospital. Antibiotics are used for bacterial pneumonia. Antibiotics may also speed recovery from mycoplasma pneumonia and some special cases. There is no good treatment for viral pneumonia. It usually gets better on its own.
Other treatment may include eating well, increasing fluid intake, getting rest, oxygen therapy, pain medication, fever control, and maybe cough-relief medication if cough is severe."
(Me speaking) That said, it also depends on the age of the patient, their physical condition, any other illnesses (that could complicate recovery), nutritional status, weight, etc.
So it's practically impossible to say where his recovery will take place and how long it will take. The doctor will take all of the above into consideration and decide how to best treat him. Usually, the hospital would be for intravenous antibiotics or the assistance of a ventilator (if the patient was in respiratory distress). I've had pneumonia 3 times in my life and was able to stay home every time. Good luck to him.
But, I am not sure, what you mean.