Signs It May Be Time to Place Your Family Member in Hospice Care

Does My Loved One Need Hospice?

Making the decision to end treatment and pursue comfort care is a difficult decision. Many family caregivers wrestle with the decision of when to start hospice care. The biggest question is how to know when your loved one is ready, especially if they are unable to tell you due to a medical condition such as age-related dementia.?

If you know the signs, you can tell when it is time for hospice. Here are some signs your loved one is ready for hospice.?

What is Hospice?

First, let’s talk about what hospice is. Hospice is when life-saving treatment is ended and the care the patient receives is focused solely on making them comfortable. In other words, the treatment isn’t about curing or treating an illness, rather, it is about easing pain and providing emotional support.?

Hospice and palliative are often used interchangeably, however, these two types of care are not the same. While palliative care is also comfort care, it is done in conjunction with life-saving treatments. For example, a cancer patient receiving radiation treatment may also receive palliative care to ease the symptoms from the side effects of radiation treatments.?

Hospice, on the other hand, is for terminally ill patients. Your loved one’s doctor must declare them terminally ill with 6 months or less to live. The doctor then refers your loved one to hospice. Once you have selected a hospice agency to work with, the agency will send out a social worker to interview your loved one and family caregivers to see if the patient is indeed ready for hospice. Once admitted into hospice, your loved one will begin to receive immediate care from their team of hospice caregivers. This team includes a doctor, nurse, CNA, home health aide, social worker, and a spiritual advisor.?

Signs Your Loved One Needs Hospice Care

Now that you understand what hospice is, let’s get into the signs that your loved one needs hospice. Once you see some of these signs, it’s important to talk to your loved one’s doctor about hospice and your options.?

• Treatments are no longer working: When treatments, such as cancer treatment, are no longer working, your loved one will be considered terminal. Your loved one may decide to continue to fight for a while even after their doctor considers them terminal, so be sure to keep lines of communication open with your loved one about hospice care.?
• You see a rapid decline in their condition: In conditions such as dementia or chronic pain conditions, you may have noticed a rapid decline in a short period of time. This may signal that your loved one is nearing the end of their life and it may be time to consider speaking with their doctor about your concerns.??
• They have uncontrolled pain, shortness of breath, nausea, or vomiting: When we reach the end of our life, our bodies begin to shut down and this can lead to pain and other symptoms that can make your loved one feel miserable.?
• You see a rapid mental decline or notice a decline in alertness: If your loved one is sleeping more than usual and/or you notice a mental decline, that can be a sign that the body is beginning to shut down.?
• They make regular trips to the ER or hospital: Be sure to speak with your loved one’s doctor about preventing some of the issues that are taking place. In some cases, this may be due to your loved one not taking their medications as instructed or caring for themselves well enough at home. However, if they are in long-term care to help prevent some of these issues and they are still heading to the ER often, speak with their doctor about hospice options.?
• They are constantly dealing with infections: This could be caused by having multiple health conditions that attack the immune system at once, or by not caring for themselves well enough at home (hygiene). If long-term care is no longer working to prevent constant infections, it may be time to consider hospice.?
• You see rapid weight loss: rapid weight loss is very concerning. It can make your loved one become very weak and is often caused by terminal illness.?
• They are struggling to sleep or sleeping more than usual: The closer we get to the end of our life, the more we sleep. But we can also be in lots of pain, causing us to struggle with sleep. If you notice either of these two symptoms, talk with your loved one’s doctor.??
• They are withdrawing from family and friends: Some people withdraw from loved ones when they begin to feel ready for death. If you have noticed that your loved one is withdrawing from activities and socializing, this can be a concerning sign.?
• They are living with a very low quality of life: Finally, if you see that your loved one is living a low-quality life due to their illness and that they don’t ever seem to be happy, it may be time to consider hospice. Because hospice focuses on comfort, it can help improve their quality of life during the time they have left, allowing your loved one to say their goodbyes and pass with dignity.

Final Thoughts

If you notice any of the above signs or symptoms in your loved one, be sure to speak with their doctor about your concerns. While placing your loved one in hospice is difficult, remember that it is about making them comfortable during the time they have left. It is about celebrating their life and saying goodbye. Hospice isn’t about death, rather, it is a celebration of a life well-lived!

Do you believe that your loved one needs hospice? All American offers a variety of home care services, including hospice and palliative care. Contact us today to learn more about our customizable services.??