Hospice Care Services For Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Types Of Dementia
Alzheimer’s Disease is very prevalent with over 5 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other related types of dementia. Over 20 million caregivers are providing support to their loved ones with dementia.
As dementia advances into the advanced stages, patients become increasingly dependent on caregivers for their Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). These patients will eventually require 24/7 assistance. They become increasingly frail, start losing weight, and have immense difficulty with even the simplest tasks.
Due to the gradual decline, it can be difficult for families to notice the decline. However, these patients will usually benefit from additional interventions and support programs designed specifically for patients with dementia. This additional support can help alleviate the caregiving burden on loved ones and help slow the decline in patients. Attention to treatment details, prompt treatment of infections and other non related conditions can help extend a patient’s life while improving quality of life. We do not yet have a cure for dementia, but providing supportive medical, emotional and spiritual care can help provide some type of treatment for loved ones who are declining due to dementia.
Patients with increasing weakness, increasing need of assistance from caregivers, recurrent infections, trouble speaking or expressing their needs, trouble swallowing, recurrent choking episodes, incontinence of urine or bowel, trouble walking, trouble transferring, trouble bathing, trouble dressing, trouble getting out of a chair or other significant decline may be eligible for additional support through hospice services. Contact us at Lenity Light Hospice to see if we may be able to help you.
How Can Hospice Help?
Hospice focuses on addressing the patient’s symptoms and addressing any underlying comorbidities that may be affecting quality of life. One of the biggest focuses for hospice care is quality of life including pain and other symptom management.
At Lenity Light Hospice, we accomplish this by scheduling regular nursing visits to assess the patient for any uncontrolled symptoms. Anything that needs to be addressed is done so under the guidance of physicians. Medications are adjusted until pain and other symptoms are controlled.
Hospice is available to the patient and caregivers 24/7 and will provide various specialties to help take care of a patient. These include physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, CNAs (nurse aides), volunteers, therapists, chaplains, social workers and other staff. Hospice also covers most medications, supplies (gloves, briefs, bandages, etc.), medical equipment (hospital bed, commode, shower chair, wheelchairs, walkers, bed side tables, oxygen, etc.).
