When Is An Alzheimer’s Patient Ready For Hospice Care? 

If you have a loved one who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, you might be worried about how to care for them. These conditions worsen over time, and you may be wondering if your loved one is ready for hospice care.  If you’re caring for someone who has one of these chronic diseases, it’s important to know when to call hospice and allow them to provide additional care and support. 

There are many factors that a family should consider before seeking hospice care such as diagnosis, functional ability, dementia severity, and caregiver health.   

According to AgingCare.com, here are a few standard signs and symptoms that indicate your dementia patient or loved one is ready for hospice care. 

• If your patient is unable to move about and ambulate without assistance. 

• If your patient is unable to dress and undress without assistance. 

• If your patient is unable to bathe or clean themselves properly. 

• The person with dementia is suffering more hospitalizations and doctor’s visits than usual. 

• They start to suffer from incontinence and frequently soil themselves. 

• They have trouble eating, drinking, and speaking on their own. 

If your dementia patient or loved one is suffering from these afflictions regularly, it may be time to contact hospice. 

A doctor can recommend hospice care when a patient’s Alzheimer’s disease or dementia progresses to the point that daily activities become too difficult for family caregivers to handle, and symptoms grow substantially worse.  

Hospice care is important when the patient cannot continue with most of their daily routines.1 

Hospice care for an Alzheimer’s or dementia patient will involve the following: 

• A personalized care plan:  A care plan will be developed through the medical doctor, nurses and caretakers to address every part of the patient’s life that includes pain management, nutrition, skin care, feeding, hydration, general care, and well-being. The further the disease progresses, the more hands-on care the patient will need. 

• Emotional and spiritual assistance and guidance: In addition to the physical needs that patient require, they also need emotional and spiritual support. Hospice will organize volunteers, chaplains, and social workers to help patients and their family. People with dementia and Alzheimer’s benefit greatly, mentally and emotionally, from interacting with others. Dementia patients with religious backgrounds often have basic and complicated questions about religion. Chaplains are brought in to have one-on-one conversations with patients. Many facilities also have music therapy that helps dementia patients both mentally and emotionally. 

• Hospice provides support to the patient and their family members. Hospice provides support to the family of the patient who is struggling emotionally and mentally with their new reality. Hospice addresses the emotional toll that caring for a family member with dementia takes on. It also helps loved ones make the tough decisions that they’ll inevitably have to face as their loved one draws near to the end. Hospice caretakers are skilled and able to provide educational support to family members. Hospice can also provide backup support and offer respite care when the caregiver needs a break and time to recenter. 

Choosing hospice care for an Alzheimer’s or dementia patient can be difficult, but it can greatly improve their quality of life. Monitoring the patient’s decline, receiving recommendations from medical professionals, and assessing the caregiver’s ability to provide care are all critical factors to consider when deciding whether hospice care is necessary. 

 

Hospice care ensures that the patient is comfortable, and that their family is supported throughout the process. Choosing hospice care doesn’t mean that families are giving up on their loved one; it means shifting the focus of care towards providing comfort during their final journey. 

Contact St. John’s Hospice at 210-718-0551 to learn if hospice is right for your loved one who is suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia. We have a team of loving and professional caregivers who specialize in caring for those who have been diagnosed with these diseases.