According to a new hospice study, dementia patients aged 70 and above can benefit from a hospice care facility. Most people are often unaware that hospice is an excellent end-of-life care option for dementia patients.
Moving elderly patients to a hospice care facility means better care in terms of quality. These facilities can provide care and support for six months. Families are often reluctant when it comes to using hospice care, but these facilities are beneficial for dementia patients.
What is Dementia?
The symptoms of dementia revolve around impaired cognition, losing different mental abilities, and behavioral changes. The decline in mental health or other difficulties in thinking or speaking disrupts daily life. More than 6.5 million people in the US live with Alzheimer’s, the most common dementia type.
How Hospice Care Can Help
Patients receiving hospice care have shown improved mental health. Hospice care provides comfort, dignity, and support to end-of-life dementia patients.
Regular nurse visits are included with hospice care. Patients usually live in a nursing home or assisted living facility. The hospice care model has been designed for elderly cancer patients but has been proven beneficial for end-of-life dementia patients.
When to Choose Hospice Care
Most hospice care services are severely underutilized. Most families only initiate hospice services during a patient’s final days, even though patients at the end-of-life quality for up to six months under hospice care.
Families can contact the patient’s primary care doctor or physician for hospice care. Physicians can refer the patients to a nearby hospice care facility. Many organizations also allow families to initiate hospice care.
Following are the signs when you should start considering hospice care for an elderly dementia patient:
- Minimal speech
- Trouble swallowing or eating, or constantly choking on liquid or food.
- Urinary incontinence
- Dehydration or weight loss due to difficulty in eating or drinking
- Difficult sitting or walking
- Diagnosis of any other disease along with dementia
- Increased hospital visits or hospitalizations
Hospice care services can help you decrease hospital or doctor visits and hospitalizations. Managing symptoms and controlling symptoms becomes easier.
Hospice care programs are tailored for both patients and families. It helps caregivers provide support for their dementia patients. In hospice care, a complete assessment is done to help meet the patient’s and family’s needs before using this program.
If you’re looking for quality care for your loved ones with dementia, at Hospice Home Care, we provide quality end-of-life, hospice, and palliative care in California. For support and consultation regarding patient care, contact us today.
