Compassus Hospice Care: Support for Late-Stage Alzheimer's and Dementia

Late-stage Alzheimer's and advanced dementia present unique care challenges, often with individuals unable to express their needs, leading to frustration and agitation. Family members caring for loved ones with dementia often face substantial emotional, financial, and physical burdens. In such situations, hospice care can offer much-needed relief. Those receiving hospice care for late-stage dementia may experience reduced pain, decreased anxiety, and fewer unplanned hospital visits.

Compassus: Your Partner in Alzheimer's and Dementia Hospice Care

Compassus understands the difficulties families encounter when providing hospice care for Alzheimer's and dementia. Our compassionate team is here to help you navigate this challenging journey. With a simple phone call, you can learn more about how we can support your family.

The Vital Role of Hospice Care for Alzheimer's and Dementia

"Our role is to lessen the burden on caregivers and connect the patient and family to life again. Patients and caregivers are exhausted, but it's not wrong to think in terms of meaningful outcomes. Safety, dignity, beauty, and meaning; these are things we all can experience as long as we are alive."

— Kurt Merkelz, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for Compassus

Our hospice nurses and aides provide essential assistance with feeding, dressing, and practical matters. They also educate family caregivers on identifying and addressing early signs of pain. Our care extends beyond patients to assist families in navigating the medical system. The hospice team comprises social workers, chaplains, and dedicated volunteers who can help ease the caregiving load.

Eligibility for Hospice Care

While the benefits of hospice are widely recognized, it is often underutilized for dementia patients due to the challenging nature of determining end-of-life prognosis. The decline in cognitive function and its impact on the body makes precise predictions difficult. The Functional Assessment Staging Test (FAST) scale is used to rank dementia patients into seven levels based on daily function abilities.

Creating a Plan for Late-Stage Alzheimer's

Sadly, Alzheimer's is not always recognized as a cause of death. During late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals can lose the ability to perform basic functions and become vulnerable to infections, including pneumonia. Hospice care can address various care challenges, such as behavior problems, communication loss, difficulty swallowing, infections, and more.

Choosing the Right At-Home Hospice Provider

When selecting a hospice provider, it's crucial to ask questions to ensure the best care for your loved one, such as Medicare certification, staff training for dementia care, collaboration with your doctor, staff-to-patient ratios, family meetings, emergency response procedures, quality measures, and care location flexibility.

Through hospice care, families can focus on cherishing their time with loved ones, wherever they call home. Typically, care is provided in a personal residence, but nursing homes or group homes are also options.

Contact Compassus for Alzheimer's and Dementia Hospice Care

With Compassus' support, families can focus on honoring their loved one's life, creating meaningful moments, and avoiding unplanned hospital visits. Reach out to Compassus today to learn more about our specialized hospice care for Alzheimer's and dementia, designed to provide patient-centered and compassionate support throughout the journey.