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astern 08-15-2017 01:50 PM

Help with Hospice criteria
 
Hi All, Im a caregiver to 92 y.o. Mom with Organic Alzhimers (organic = no plaques but all the symptoms). When she began sleeping all the time and refusing to eat, I called in Hospice for a 2nd evaluation (1st eval was 3 mo ago, they said she was close, but not yet ready). They said she should be approved now.

However, one week later, the Hospice RN said she may NOT qualify because on her best days she is communicative. And because her Albumen level is 3.5... it needs to be 2.5.

Mom is anemic and her Labs came back with many red flags. Her weight is down to 103lbs. She's hitting 8 of the 12 markers for end-of-life. She hallucinates some man is singing... it's all the time now.

I realize I'm venting here, but am hoping someone will have some advice for me on getting Mom approved. I usually post over in the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Forum. With my own neurogenic problems, dealing with Mom is just killing me! :thud:


Thanks for any advice or sharing your experiences,
Anne

St George 2013 08-15-2017 10:43 PM

Nice to meet you Anne
 
My name is Debi and I'm also a caregiver to my 86 year old mother with dementia. I also live in Georgia.

I'm surprised your mom hasn't already been approved but I shouldn't be surprised I guess.

Your message hit me right between the eyes ! My mom is currently on home Hospice care. The Hospice DOCTOR drove up in my driveway last week and wanted to see my mom. She lives in an addition build onto my home. Evidently they are getting stricter here in West Georgia on Home Hospice Patients.

My mom was approved for Hospice last year due to her COPD. It's amazing but she is not on oxygen. Coughs like she's going to hack up a lung but her blood oxygen level is always 95 or higher which is extremely rare. She was 106lbs but over the last 2 years has gone down to 68/72. They approved her for 60 more days but because she's not losing weight anymore and she's not on oxygen I fear they will release her (nurse's opinion when she visited).

I'm also not sure what I'm going to do.
Hospice is there to help when she is impacted (yuk), needs pain meds refilled, bathe her and wash her hair every week and so on. You know what I mean.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. My mom is not to the point your mom is and I just don't understand how they can just 'dump' these patients who have come to rely on them as well as their family members. I'm 55 and disabled and cannot do the things they do for her.

I don't know of any Home Health Services that will even perform any of the functions I need them to perform for her as needed. Sigh

I hope someone comes along and offers you the answers you are looking for.

Please keep us posted.

Debi in Georgia

astern 08-16-2017 08:06 PM

Thanks for your reply Debi, it did sound like the Hospice company was afraid of what Medicare would say. And I have heard of people being on Hospice care for as long as a few years! I hope that your Mom will get a continuance. Our RN said, "we base the decision on how bad the patient is on their BEST day". Maybe that will help you? I have also been told that no all Hospice companies use the same criteria, so do shop around.

My Mom is in an ALF that is having bad 'turnover' in employees. One day there was only 1 medical person for a building of 113 rooms! We hired a home health aide for 2 hrs each weekday morning. A huge help. But I can see Mom needing it every day now.

Hang in there Debi, we get a special crown in Heaven for our hard work. :wink:

Anne


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