hospice question

[Guest guest]

Hi

My Dad is 86 and spent 21 days last summer in Rehab and now he is back since

June 12. Parksinsons advanced and Lewy Body Dementia has been mentioned but not

definite. We can take him home if we have 24/7 nursing care - that we have to

pay for. Also the rehab sets you up with Home Health Aid that comes 2 or 3

times a week for a half an hour. We were all excited about this last year,

until we realized how little they are there. Insurance pays for that for 6

weeks, I believe. My mother is very frail 84 year old. My sister has very bad

back issues and is scheduled for her spine to be fused - she can do no lifting.

She lives close by and tries to help every day. I live about 45 minutes away

and try to help a few times a week, or whenever I can. I have some health

issues and can't do anything strenuous at this time.- I am hoping to get better.

My husband needs my help and just had a heart attack, so I have to try to help

him, get all his meds straight and take him to all his appointments. I also have

to have surgery on July 8- do not want to do it because I want to be able to do

all this stuff. But dr is insisting.

The question is this - when is hospice ordered? does the doctor order hospice

and what is the criteria ? I understand that 911 is not called anymore and the

patient is given something (don't know what they can be given - can have no

opiates, narcotics or sedatives with Parkinsons). My Dad falls frequently, they

call 911 frequently. He has started falling straight backwards. His feet trip

over eachother too. Everytime he falls - nothing is broken. - this time he fell

June 12, nothing is broken - went in ambulance. EMT gave him morhpine on the way

to the hospital - hospital kept him for a week - hallucinating like crazy from

the morphine for 5 days,. then transferred to Rehab where he is learning to

stand and to hopefully walk.

H