[lanie1160]

Can anyone tell me their opinion of joining hospice?
It has gotten to that point and want to know I am making the right decision. Thank you

[villagetinker]

OK, I am confused, Hospice is usually an end of life care facility that keeps the patient comfortable, I do not understand "joining" hospice. If you have an end of life condition, talk to your doctor(s) about your next steps.

[asianthree]

Your physician will give you recommendations on when you need hospice. Once he has made that determination, Then will recommend agencies that they work with.

You don’t enter hospice on your own.

[Altavia]

[url=https://www.consumerreports.org/hospice-care/when-to-consider-hospice-care/]When to Start Hospice Care - Consumer Reports[/

[retiredguy123]

Hospice is not necessarily in a facility. It can be done in your home. You voluntarily forfeit your Medicare Part B benefits in exchange for a specialized Medicare Part A plan that will do nothing to attempt to prolong your life. Hospice is not mandatory. They will not even allow the patient to receive fluids or IV nourishment. My only experience with hospice was with a friend in Virginia. It was a very negative experience because the hospice nurses were rude and totally incompetent and I had to throw them out of my house several times. But, apparently, there are some good hospice nurses and my experience may not be typical.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Hospice is not necessarily in a facility. It can be done in your home. You voluntarily forfeit your Medicare Part B benefits in exchange for a specialized Medicare Part A plan that will do nothing to attempt to prolong your life. Hospice is not mandatory. They will not even allow the patient to receive fluids or IV nourishment. My only experience with hospice was with a friend in Virginia. It was a very negative experience because the hospice nurses were rude and totally incompetent and I had to throw them out of my house several times. But, apparently, there are some good hospice nurses and my experience may not be typical.

Two kinds of Hospice nurses, one will read the room, know the family wants long drawn out care, because family can’t come to agreement. But their job is to keep the patient comfortable not the family.
The other seems aggressive moving the process quickly, sometimes making families uncomfortable, because the patient is in such agony, their first concern is still what is best for their patient.

Hospice nurses don’t need to be thrown out. You express you are uncomfortable with them, ask them to leave. Then call the agency and ask to interview a new nurse. One can always hire a new agency.

In 45 plus years I have met, worked with, an been close friends with over 100 hospice nurses. Their job is one of the hardest in nursing careers, because there is only one outcome, and that’s to bring the patient to a comfortable state, progressing to death, and dealing with family and friends that can’t cope.

My closest friend an anesthesiologist, came unglued at a very good friend she used for a hospice nurse for her mom.

It wasn’t that hospice nurse was wrong, or unkind. My friend just couldn’t come to terms on what was best for her mom. Her MDA, gave her knowledge of process, just not how to cope.

[Stu from NYC]

We used hospice for my mom a number of years ago and they were nice and we thought did a good job working with my mom and preparing us.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by lanie1160

Can anyone tell me their opinion of joining hospice?
It has gotten to that point and want to know I am making the right decision. Thank you

A physician determines if you or a family member is eligible for hospice. Check out palliative care though-- Hospice & Palliative Care Basics | VITAS Healthcare

What is Palliative Care? | VITAS Healthcare

Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by asianthree

Two kinds of Hospice nurses, one will read the room, know the family wants long drawn out care, because family can’t come to agreement. But their job is to keep the patient comfortable not the family.
The other seems aggressive moving the process quickly, sometimes making families uncomfortable, because the patient is in such agony, their first concern is still what is best for their patient.

Hospice nurses don’t need to be thrown out. You express you are uncomfortable with them, ask them to leave. Then call the agency and ask to interview a new nurse. One can always hire a new agency.

In 45 plus years I have met, worked with, an been close friends with over 100 hospice nurses. Their job is one of the hardest in nursing careers, because there is only one outcome, and that’s to bring the patient to a comfortable state, progressing to death, and dealing with family and friends that can’t cope.

My closest friend an anesthesiologist, came unglued at a very good friend she used for a hospice nurse for her mom.

It wasn’t that hospice nurse was wrong, or unkind. My friend just couldn’t come to terms on what was best for her mom. Her MDA, gave her knowledge of process, just not how to cope.

My experience with hospice is totally opposite of yours. One example was when a nurse came to my house in a 30 year old car that was leaking oil onto my driveway. She had long greasy hair and weighed more than 300 pounds. I told her that the patient was upstairs, so she spent about 10 minutes hanging onto my wooden railing trying to climb the stairs to the point that I was afraid that she would break the railing. I told her to come back down and to leave my house. She came down but said that I had to sign a form before she could leave. I refused to sign the form and told her to leave and to never come back. The other nurse they sent also weighed 300 pounds and reeked of cigarette smoke. She was extremely rude and condescending. She kept pushing morphine to my friend who did not want to take it. A horrible experience.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

My experience with hospice is totally opposite of yours. One example was when a nurse came to my house in a 30 year old car that was leaking oil onto my driveway. She had long greasy hair and weighed more than 300 pounds. I told her that the patient was upstairs, so she spent about 10 minutes hanging onto my wooden railing trying to climb the stairs to the point that I was afraid that she would break the railing. I told her to come back down and to leave my house. She came down but said that I had to sign a form before she could leave. I refused to sign the form and told her to leave and to never come back. The other nurse they sent also weighed 300 pounds and reeked of cigarette smoke. She was extremely rude and condescending. She kept pushing morphine to my friend who did not want to take it. A horrible experience.

We have had some great people through Vitas and a few mediocre ones. It varies quite a bit.

A social worker approached me after a physician had recommended palliative hospice when my Mom was at the Villages Regional Hospital. I eventually got involved with Vitas Palliative Care even though I was very reluctant at first.

There are also various in- home care providers which in my experience also vary a great deal in the quality and experience of the people who show up. We have had luck with Right at Home though. In Home Care for Seniors | Right at Home Ocala, FL | Elder Care at Home

[PugMom]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Hospice is not necessarily in a facility. It can be done in your home. You voluntarily forfeit your Medicare Part B benefits in exchange for a specialized Medicare Part A plan that will do nothing to attempt to prolong your life. Hospice is not mandatory. They will not even allow the patient to receive fluids or IV nourishment. My only experience with hospice was with a friend in Virginia. It was a very negative experience because the hospice nurses were rude and totally incompetent and I had to throw them out of my house several times. But, apparently, there are some good hospice nurses and my experience may not be typical.

you touched on 1 of the things about hospice i'm not comfortable with: the lack of care when an issue should arise. if you have a heart attack, etc., no care is given. they hold your hand while you die, ...please tell me i'm wrong

[blueash]

Originally Posted by PugMom

you touched on 1 of the things about hospice i'm not comfortable with: the lack of care when an issue should arise. if you have a heart attack, etc., no care is given. they hold your hand while you die, ...please tell me i'm wrong

If the patient in consultation with physicians or clergy or family or whatever combination has decided that they are now in a position where prolonging life is not the goal as it is only in fact prolonging a difficult death process... why in the world would you want that poor patient to be given CPR so they can awaken with tubes in their throats, new surgical wounds from their bypass all the new pain and disability when they were going to die within a short period anyway from their primary disease?

Ultimately everyone dies because their heart stops. The very goal of hospice is to make death as comfortable as possible. So hand holding and pain meds are the right treatment not the wrong one.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by PugMom

you touched on 1 of the things about hospice i'm not comfortable with: the lack of care when an issue should arise. if you have a heart attack, etc., no care is given. they hold your hand while you die, ...please tell me i'm wrong

Theoretically, they are supposed to treat conditions that are not related to the patient's primary illness, such as a skin rash. But, I doubt that they would provide much treatment for a serious condition like a heart attack.

As I understand it, hospice is a Medicare Part A benefit where the hospice provider is paid a daily rate per patient to provide the hospice care. When you sign up for hospice, you are suspending your Medicare Part B benefits in exchange for the hospice care. So, if you need an expensive treatment or surgery, you would need to cancel your hospice agreement.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

A physician determines if you or a family member is eligible for hospice. Check out palliative care though-- Hospice & Palliative Care Basics | VITAS Healthcare

What is Palliative Care? | VITAS Healthcare

Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care

The hospice company that my friend was using was Vitas Healthcare, but in northern Virginia. The two nurses that Vitas sent to my house should not have been allowed to practice nursing anywhere. Also, my friend was never seen by a medical doctor.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

The hospice company that my friend was using was Vitas Healthcare, but in northern Virginia. The two nurses that Vitas sent to my house should not have been allowed to practice nursing anywhere. Also, my friend was never seen by a medical doctor.

Quality of workers may vary I suppose with who does the hiring and firing.

We have gotten a few Vitas nurses that did not seem to know what they were doing. But a physician has to OK my Mom for palliative hospice every two months or so. Or, at least, a nurse practitioner. The nurse often Facetimes with the physician.