Benefits of Hospice for Advanced Alzheimer’s Patients

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive condition that gradually erodes memory, cognitive abilities, and the capacity to perform daily tasks. In its advanced stages, individuals may lose the ability to communicate, recognize loved ones, or care for themselves. As a family member of someone with advanced Alzheimer’s, you have some difficult decisions to make. One compassionate approach is to consider hospice care for Alzheimer’s patients when the time is right.

Benefits of Hospice Care for Alzheimer’s Patients

Hospice care focuses on providing comfort during a patient’s final days, rather than pursuing curative treatments. Such end-of-life care for Alzheimer’s patients encompasses several key aspects:

Symptom management: Hospice teams are skilled in managing symptoms of advanced Alzheimer’s disease, such as pain, agitation, and difficulty swallowing.
Personalized care plans: Recognizing that each patient’s journey is unique, hospice develops care plans catered to the individual’s needs and preferences.
Emotional and spiritual support: Beyond physical care, hospice offers counseling and spiritual services to address the emotional and existential challenges patients may face.

Benefits of Hospice Care for Families and Caregivers

Caring for a loved one with advanced Alzheimer’s elicits strong emotions and feelings of being overwhelmed. Hospice care supports families in the following ways:

Respite care: Providing temporary relief allows primary caregivers to rest and recharge. This respite care leaves caregivers more time to maintain their personal health and well-being while continuing to support their loved ones.
Education: Hospice staff can teach families about the progression and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and explain their effective care techniques. This education helps families understand what to expect and how to manage the challenges that arise during the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s.
Open communication: Compassionate hospice staff can help families navigate difficult conversations about end-of-life wishes and care decisions with their loved ones. Maintaining open and honest dialogue empowers families to make informed choices that honor the patient’s preferences and values.
Bereavement support: Hospice care doesn’t end when a loved one passes. Families can take advantage of free grief counseling and end-of-life planning to help them process their loss and adjust to life without their loved one.

Recognizing the Right Time for Hospice Care

Considering the slow decline of an Alzheimer’s patient, determining when to initiate hospice care can be difficult. In general, hospice care is appropriate for people who have a life expectancy of six months or less. Only a doctor can make this clinical determination, but here are some indicators that the time for hospice may be near:

Severe cognitive decline: The patient can no longer communicate meaningfully or recognize loved ones.
Complete dependence: The patient can no longer walk and requires assistance with all daily activities, including eating, dressing, and bathing.
Frequent medical complications: Recurrent infections, weight loss, or other health issues indicate the body’s declining ability to maintain essential functions.

Understanding Hospice Eligibility

Many hospice providers look for certain criteria in patients before accepting them. Eligibility for Alzheimer’s patients is based on the Functional Assessment Staging Tool (FAST). Patients are considered in the terminal stage of Alzheimer’s disease once they reach Stage 7. At this stage, individuals may exhibit the following symptoms:

Incontinence
Speaking less than six intelligible words per day
Inability to sit, stand, or hold their head up independently
Inability to smile

Patients in Stage 7 have also experienced one of the following secondary conditions within the past 12 months:

Delirium
Recurrent infections
Septicemia
Aspiration pneumonia
Recurrent fever after taking antibiotics
Weight loss indicating an inability to maintain sufficient fluid and calorie intake

In addition, the presence of coexisting conditions such as heart disease, cancer, liver disease, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) further qualifies a patient for hospice care. Consult a healthcare professional to assess eligibility and determine the most appropriate time to initiate hospice services.

Anticipated Hospice Outcomes for Alzheimer’s Patients

Families often wonder how hospice helps with Alzheimer’s. Utilizing this service results in the following outcomes:

Peace, comfort, and dignity for the patient: Through effective symptom management, patients experience reduced pain and anxiety. They are less likely to end up in the hospital and instead spend their final days in the peaceful environment of their home, long-term care facility, or assisted living community.
Closure for the family: Families often report greater satisfaction with their loved one’s care and find acceptance more easily when they receive support through hospice. Care teams support families as attentively as they do their patients to ensure everyone’s needs are met.

Compassionate Care with Agape Hospice NW

As a locally owned provider in Portland, OR, Agape Hospice NW is committed to comfort and honoring life. Our compassionate, attentive team offers a personal touch and 24-hour nursing assistance when needed. If your loved one is facing advanced Alzheimer’s disease, please contact us to learn more about how our hospice services can provide support during this challenging time.