Common Hospice Diagnoses & Some of Their Hospice Indicators

Cancer

• Curative treatment unlikely to improve quality or length of life

• Metastasis to multiple sites

Heart Failure

• Chest pain and/or shortness of breath with and without activity

• Taking multiple cardiac medications

• Patient and/or physician believe heart surgery is not a preferred option

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

• Shortness of breath at rest and with any activity

• Recurring respiratory infections

• Using multiple inhalers with poor response

Alzheimer's & Dementia

• Speaks few intelligible words

• Needs help to sit up

• Unable to walk without assistance

Stroke/CVA

• Difficulty swallowing, unable to take in adequate nutrition

• No feeding tube (current or planned)

Liver Failure

• Ascites despite use of diuretics

• Serum albumin 1.5

Renal Failure

• Considering stopping dialysis

• Serum creatinine >8.0 (>6.0 for diabetics)

HIV

• CD4+ count 100,000

• Secondary conditions(Kaposi’s sarcoma, pneumocystis pneumonia, fungal infections, etc.)

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

• Barely intelligible speech

• Significant shortness of breath

• Difficulty swallowing accompanied by rapid weight loss

• No feeding tube or ventilator (current or planned)

Patients and families often tell us that they wish they had known about hospice sooner. It is never too early to educate yourself about hospice or ask for a hospice evaluation.

Hospice should be a timely choice… Not a last resort. Faith Foundation Hospice is here to help you  with any questions or concerns you may have. Please CONTACT US today!

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