Is it the Right Time for Hospice?

Many families wait to call hospice until the final days and weeks of his or her loved one's life, not knowing they could have started receiving additional specialized nursing care and medications, medical equipment and supplies related to his or her loved one's terminal illness at no cost much earlier.

Hospice care improves the patient's quality of life by managing pain and other symptoms of his or her illness and improves the family / caregiver's lives by having someone that they can lean on, seek guidance from, and receive much needed support during this difficult time.

You should call hospice if your loved one is experiencing any of the symptoms below:

• frequent visits to the ER or hospital admissions
• a decline in his or her ability to perform daily tasks including eating, getting dressed, walking, or using the bathroom
• an increase in falls
• changes to his or her mental abilities
• progressive weight loss
• skin tears, infections, and other signs of deteriorating health