When someone you hold dear is diagnosed with a terminal illness, making the most of the time they have left is of the utmost importance. Hospice care allows for that, but in the minds of many people in Salt Lake City, Utah, entering hospice means giving up on life. This isn’t the case at all.
Hospice services are for the final stage of life, but they’re designed to help people live as well as they can for as long as possible. Hospice is focused on comfort, and by choosing this type of care, terminally ill individuals can enjoy the end-of-life journey, living on their own terms. Getting your loved one to enter hospice at the right time can make all the difference – but how do you know when it’s the right time? If you’re unsure, reading the following may prove helpful.
Qualifications for Hospice Care in Salt Lake City
Hospice services are for individuals who are terminally ill and nearing the end of life. However, death doesn’t need to be imminent – to qualify for hospice care, a patient must simply be expected to live for six months or less, as certified by a doctor.
Since determining how long someone will survive can be quite difficult, Salt Lake City physicians consider other indicators that the end may be near. Hospice care is often deemed appropriate when a patient is experiencing:
- Uncontrollable pain
- Ongoing symptom flare-ups
- Increasing weakness and fatigue
- Frequent or recurring infections
- Marked confusion or mental decline
- Progressive unintentional weight loss
Hospice may also be the right choice when a terminally ill individual is having trouble with everyday tasks. Heading to the emergency room or being hospitalized on a regular basis may also mean hospice is worth considering. However, to be eligible for hospice care, patients must agree to forgo further curative treatment.
When it comes to hospice eligibility, age is never a factor. And while many people think this form of care is only for cancer patients, that isn’t the case. Cancer is one of the more prevalent diagnoses among those in hospice care, but many other conditions qualify. In Salt Lake City, individuals coping with the following terminal illnesses find comfort through hospice services:
- Alzheimer’s disease and advanced dementia
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Cardiac disease and congestive heart failure
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis
- Refractory lupus and other autoimmune disorders
This certainly isn’t a complete list, as hospice care is beneficial for anyone who is terminally ill and has a projected lifespan of six months or less. But hospice is a choice – and quite often, families are left to bring up the topic.
Is Now the Right Time for Hospice Care?
That’s a question many people have, as physicians often hesitate to suggest hospice. Some assume that terminally ill patients want to continue searching for a cure, but in many cases, doctors aren’t aware that the end is so near. After all, even the most skilled medical professionals in Salt Lake City have a limited ability to predict a patient’s rate of decline.
How, then, are you supposed to know when it might be the right time for your loved one to enter hospice care?
With the connection you share, you may notice changes in their health, habits or daily functioning that point to the need for extra support. If so, go ahead and contact a local hospice agency – anyone can make a referral, and the initial consultation is free. If your loved one meets the criteria for hospice care, the agency will obtain the required physician certification.
Feeling torn about the decision? That’s completely understandable, but considering a few questions may help. Has your loved one:
- Been contacting their physician more often?
- Gone to the hospital multiple times in the last several months?
- Fallen more than once while going about their regular routine?
- Started taking more medication to relieve physical pain?
- Taken to spending most of their time in a chair or bed?
- Needed assistance with bathing, dressing or using the toilet?
- Become less interested in food or started refusing meals?
- Seemed more restless, distressed or agitated than before?
- Developed new speech patterns or begun to have trouble communicating?
- Experienced labored breathing or shortness of breath, even when resting?
- Made any out-of-character comments, requests or resolutions?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, hospice care may be the right choice for your loved one. In that case, a conversation with a hospice professional would be beneficial.
Schedule a Hospice Care Consult Today
At Suncrest Hospice of Salt Lake City, we have a team of friendly and knowledgeable professionals, all of whom are passionate about helping people with the end-of-life journey. We’re proud to be a trusted local hospice agency, and you can count on us to treat your loved one with the level of compassion, kindness and respect we’d want for the people we hold dear.
For details on the services we provide to terminally ill patients and their families, or to schedule a free, no-obligation hospice care consultation contact our office in Salt Lake City, Utah, today.
