Guest guest Posted June 3, 2002 Report Share Posted June 3, 2002 Barbara - Pam had mentioned that you had experience with the Hospice program. I had thought they would cover if the illness was terminal, not improving and referred by a physician. My question was as to the length of time they cover and when is the time to be referred. As I read this email to Dodie you said someone was on Hospice for 2 yrs., is this correct? We spoke to a PT and she said we should consider hospice when Jerry could no longer use a slide board to get up and we needed a lift (she felt I could not manage that by myself). It would be great to know that we might be able to use their services sooner than later. Does the doctor have to say six months or does he/she only need to say terminal and not improving? Thank you so much, Jan > Dodie: > If you have long term care insurance, it usually covers if you cannot > do certain things for yourself. You need to read your policy carefully, but > it should cover MSA disabilities. You cannot get it, however, once the > diagnosis has been made. You must be pretty healthy when you sign up for it. > Hospice does indeed cover MSA as we found out for Ken. Your doctor must say > that in his opinion, the patient will live about six months, and the > condition is terminal. Ken had Hospice help for six months and one week, and > he continued to take all his PD and SDS medications that whole time because > they were only for his comfort and did not promise a cure. Hospice will bring > any medication for comfort, but they do not try to cure. If a cure comes > along while you are on Hospice, you may leave Hospice and try the cure. If it > does not work, you may go back on Hospice again. The only requirement to stay > on Hospice is that you must be getting worse, not better. Our Hospice nurse > said she had one patient who had been with her for almost two years. I > commented to the Social Worker after Ken's death that it had been very > helpful to have been with them as long as we were before Ken actually died. > She said they are trying to get doctors to refer terminal patients earlier > rather than waiting until the last minute. Our doctor did not bring it up; I > asked if she thought it was time, and she said she did. The relief in her > voice was obvious that I had broached the subject and she did not have to. > Barbara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2002 Report Share Posted June 3, 2002 Hi Jan, Leo has been with Hospice for 1 yr and 5mos. so far. I don't know what the Dr. told them, They ask 9 jillion questions- and if you meet their criteria - you are in. They have been the best thing that has happened in the course of this mess. Ginger Re: LTC?/hospice > Barbara - > Pam had mentioned that you had experience with the Hospice program. > I had thought they would cover if the illness was terminal, not > improving and referred by a physician. My question was as to the > length of time they cover and when is the time to be referred. As I > read this email to Dodie you said someone was on Hospice for 2 yrs., > is this correct? We spoke to a PT and she said we should consider > hospice when Jerry could no longer use a slide board to get up and we > needed a lift (she felt I could not manage that by myself). It would > be great to know that we might be able to use their services sooner > than later. Does the doctor have to say six months or does he/she > only need to say terminal and not improving? > Thank you so much, > Jan > > > > > Dodie: > > If you have long term care insurance, it usually covers if > you cannot > > do certain things for yourself. You need to read your policy > carefully, but > > it should cover MSA disabilities. You cannot get it, however, once > the > > diagnosis has been made. You must be pretty healthy when you sign > up for it. > > Hospice does indeed cover MSA as we found out for Ken. Your doctor > must say > > that in his opinion, the patient will live about six months, and > the > > condition is terminal. Ken had Hospice help for six months and one > week, and > > he continued to take all his PD and SDS medications that whole time > because > > they were only for his comfort and did not promise a cure. Hospice > will bring > > any medication for comfort, but they do not try to cure. If a cure > comes > > along while you are on Hospice, you may leave Hospice and try the > cure. If it > > does not work, you may go back on Hospice again. The only > requirement to stay > > on Hospice is that you must be getting worse, not better. Our > Hospice nurse > > said she had one patient who had been with her for almost two > years. I > > commented to the Social Worker after Ken's death that it had been > very > > helpful to have been with them as long as we were before Ken > actually died. > > She said they are trying to get doctors to refer terminal patients > earlier > > rather than waiting until the last minute. Our doctor did not bring > it up; I > > asked if she thought it was time, and she said she did. The relief > in her > > voice was obvious that I had broached the subject and she did not > have to. > > Barbara > > > If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may > unsubscribe by sending a blank email to > > shydrager-unsubscribe > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2002 Report Share Posted June 3, 2002 Jan: It is my understanding that the doctor has to say six months or less, but of course that is not always accurate. Yes, Our nurse said she had had a patient for two years. If I were you, I would call my local Hospice and ask your questions. Sometimes they do vary. I asked the doctor about it when Ken was no longer showing improvement with hydration, and everything we tried seemed to have no effect or to make him worse. We had already started moving him with a Hoyer lift, and he really could no longer walk at all. I had full-time paid help, and they were finding his care almost too much. As I said before, our doctor seemed to heave a sigh of relief that I brought it up, and Ken lived exactly six months and one week. My feeling during that time was that their presence actually prolonged his life rather than shortening it. They tweaked so many things for us, and they gave us all such a good feeling that he relaxed and enjoyed his last few months. There are quite a few Hospice sites on the Internet that you might look at. I know this is a very very hard time for you, and I pray you find the answers you need. Changing from trying to make a person more well to just letting nature take its course was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but I know it gave ken and me a sort of respite during those six months. We just allowed ourselves to accept what was inevitable, and when ken finally died, he did it at home with me lying next to him. I shall always be grateful for that. Love, Barbara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2002 Report Share Posted June 3, 2002 There is one more requirement to using Hospice that I forgot. You have to have a Do-Not-Resusitate Order on file, or at least that was a requirement of the one I used which was run by VNA. Also, you were not to call 911 but to call the Hospice in the event of any problems. They would not take a patient to the Hospital for anything except something Orthopedic like a broken hip. All other treatment is to be done in the home, and even the doctor came to the house. Someone was always available to come 24 hours a day. Barbara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2002 Report Share Posted June 3, 2002 There is one more requirement to using Hospice that I forgot. You have to have a Do-Not-Resusitate Order on file, or at least that was a requirement of the one I used which was run by VNA. Also, you were not to call 911 but to call the Hospice in the event of any problems. They would not take a patient to the Hospital for anything except something Orthopedic like a broken hip. All other treatment is to be done in the home, and even the doctor came to the house. Someone was always available to come 24 hours a day. Barbara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2002 Report Share Posted June 3, 2002 Hi Jan, My dad just passed away May 4 and hospice came in on April 4 and we were told that the doctors had to say 6 month or less for them to come in and help out. They were a tremendous help to us. My dad had shydragers. He was diagnosed 6 years ago. We just received the death certificate and it stated shydrager and aspiration as cause of death. Talk with the doctor one on one as we did without my father present. Keeping you and your family in my prayers. Dee/NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2002 Report Share Posted June 3, 2002 Hi Jan, My dad just passed away May 4 and hospice came in on April 4 and we were told that the doctors had to say 6 month or less for them to come in and help out. They were a tremendous help to us. My dad had shydragers. He was diagnosed 6 years ago. We just received the death certificate and it stated shydrager and aspiration as cause of death. Talk with the doctor one on one as we did without my father present. Keeping you and your family in my prayers. Dee/NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2002 Report Share Posted June 3, 2002 Thanks Jan, I am looking forward to meeting with you. You will know when the time is right as we did. Take care of yourself as much as you can. Dee/NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2002 Report Share Posted June 3, 2002 Thanks Jan, I am looking forward to meeting with you. You will know when the time is right as we did. Take care of yourself as much as you can. Dee/NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2002 Report Share Posted June 3, 2002 Thank you Dee, I will speak with the Dr. when the time is right. I look forward to meeting with you in NC in July. Jan > Hi Jan, > My dad just passed away May 4 and hospice came in on April 4 and we were told > that the doctors had to say 6 month or less for them to come in and help out. > They were a tremendous help to us. My dad had shydragers. He was diagnosed > 6 years ago. We just received the death certificate and it stated shydrager > and aspiration as cause of death. Talk with the doctor one on one as we did > without my father present. > Keeping you and your family in my prayers. > Dee/NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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