What are the signs that a patient may be ready for hospice?
Ready for Hospice
It is a common misconception that hospice is only appropriate when someone reaches a stage of extreme debilitation. Referring to hospice as soon as the prognosis points to hospice readiness means that your patients with life-limiting illness (and their families) receive valuable benefits that can enhance day-to-day life.
Don鈥檛 let your patients miss out on the added benefits of hospice support.
- Support for patient and family
- Physical and emotional comfort
- Care wherever they call home
- Symptom and pain management
- Counseling and respite services
- Focus on personal goals
- Minimal disruptions to normal activities
- Enhanced quality of life
The indications of hospice eligibility can be subtle and easily overlooked. It would be nice if there were a simple checklist that definitively pointed toward a 6-month prognosis, but prediction is often complex and layered.
Below are some factors to consider when evaluating if a patient may be clinically eligible for the added support of hospice. This is not an inclusive list, and the overlapping of these indicators, and other variables, collectively paint a unique 鈥渉ealth portrait鈥� which can affect prognosis.
- Failure to rehabilitate
- Needs more assistance with activities of daily living such as ambulation, transferring, dressing, bathing, feeding, toileting
- Unintentional weight loss or gain
- Decreased appetite or difficulty swallowing
- Multiple hospitalizations or ER visits
- Recurrent falls
- Recent hip fracture
- Recurrent infections
- New or worsening wounds
- New use of assistive device such as cane, walker or wheelchair
- New or worsening incontinence
- Decreased communication or change in socialization behavior
- Significant loss or life event such as death of a spouse
- Added complexity of cognitive impairment
- Requires a change in care setting
- Missed physician visits
Still not sure about a particular patient? We can help. Our nurses and physicians are equipped to look at a patient鈥檚 clinical and functional 鈥減ortrait鈥� to determine eligibility status.
Provider Resources
We can help support your patients wherever they are in their health care journey. Check out our hospice provider resources.
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Contact your local 色色视频 branch for more information on hospice and how we can help your patients.
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