Does a loved one in Fremont have advanced dementia?
Hospice care at home is a special program with services that can provide much-needed support. To be eligible for hospice with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of progressive dementia, a patient must be in the final stages, experiencing significant difficulty with communication and mobility. If that describes your loved one, contacting a Fremont hospice agency can be to the
According to a recent study, dementia patients on hospice are more likely to receive high-quality care, with better management of symptoms of depression, anxiety and sadness, than patients who don’t receive hospice services. This isn’t too surprising, though, as regular visits by skilled nurses, social workers, chaplains, hospice aides and volunteers help make the end-of-life journey as comfortable as possible.
The support hospice agencies offer families is also invaluable. Seeing a loved one suffering from dementia is distressing, and hospice professionals are able to help everyone cope with difficult emotions. And, family caregivers who need some time off to re-charge can take advantage of respite care. However, while hospice care at home eases some of the burden, providing day-to-day care for a dementia patient is by no means easy. Below, the Suncrest team shares several tactics that may prove helpful.
Strategies for Effective Communication
With advanced dementia, the ability to speak is significantly limited, and patients may have command of only a few words, if any. After you arrange for hospice care at home for your loved one, professionals with specialized expertise in assisting dementia patients will provide you with targeted advice on how to communicate effectively. Often, the following actions are of great help:
- Eliminating distractions – shutting the door or turning off the TV, for example – to allow the patient to focus on what’s being said
- Making sure the patient is paying attention, addressing them by name and if necessary, using touch to keep them focused
- Speaking slowly and clearly, while maintaining an upbeat, positive attitude – even after repeating the same statement a few times
Managing Difficult Dementia Behaviors
As every caregiver knows, patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of progressive dementia often exhibit difficult behaviors. Receiving hospice care at home, with familiar comforts, can curb one of the major triggers – a change in routine or environment — but lashing out can be a response to stress, fatigue, pain, excessive demands or a host of other factors. When met with anger, agitation or aggression, Fremont hospice professionals suggest trying the following:
- Checking for potential physical discomforts
- Seeing if the patient is hungry, wet, cold or in pain
- Offering reassurance, speaking in a soothing tone
- Providing a distraction, like a favorite video or song
- Gently brushing their hair or massaging their shoulders
Getting Professional Help for a Loved One
If you and other members of the family are acting as the primary caregivers of a dementia patient, you may need professional help eventually. But dementia doesn’t always follow the same course in terms of progression – so there’s no exact science as to the time to start hospice care at home.
When determining eligibility, many Fremont hospice professionals rely on the Reisberg Functional Assessment STaging (FAST) scale. The seven-stage system is focused on the individual’s level of functional ability, and hospice care at home typically becomes an option at stage seven. Your loved one might be at that point if they are:
- Incapable of speaking or using few intelligible words
- Powerless to walk or move around without assistance
- Unable to get dressed or bathe properly on their own
- Having difficulty with or incapable of eating or drinking
- Suffering from incontinence and frequent urination
In some cases, dementia patients exhibit only some of the above signs of being at stage seven of the FAST scale. So, if you’re wondering whether your loved one might be eligible for hospice care at home, put in a call to a trusted Fremont hospice agency. Most, including Suncrest, are happy to help families determine when hospice services can begin.
Finding the Right Fremont Hospice Agency
Like patients and families in other parts of the San Francisco Bay Area region of California, people living in Fremont have the choice of more than one hospice agency. Determining where to turn for hospice care at home may take a bit of time on your part, but it’s time well spent.
As you consider the options, asking hospice professionals the following questions can help ensure that your loved one receives the best possible care:
- Is your hospice agency certified by Medicare?
- Does the hospice team have experience with dementia patients?
- Do team members create an individual care plan for each patient?
- What specialized services are available for patients with dementia?
- How does your hospice agency help caregivers cope with challenges?
Also, make a point of asking about the training, skill and demeanor of the hospice nurses, aides and volunteers – these are the people that will likely spend the most time with your loved one, so you’ll want compassionate and loving individuals in these roles.
Call on Suncrest, and you’ll find that our Medicare-certified hospice agency is a good fit for your needs. We have an exceptional team, staffed with professionals who treat patients like members of their own families, and we offer an array of supportive services to enhance comfort and ensure quality of life for dementia patients. For more information, or to schedule a meeting to discuss hospice care for your loved one, contact our office in Fremont, California, today.
