When terminal illness has been diagnosed in a patient, hospice care can sometimes become available as an option in care. Knowing when to schedule a hospice evaluation is not always easy. Some signs that may suggest potential eligibility for hospice care are:
- Not responding to treatments or therapy.
- Pain that is difficult to control.
- Wounds that aren’t healing.
- Infections.
- Loss of interest in activities.
- Loss of appetite.
- Weight loss that is not planned.
- After an illness, not “bouncing back”.
- Excessive sleeping throughout the day.
- Trouble sleeping due to pain, shortness of breath or other symptoms.
- Confusion.
- Loss of speech.
- Multiple hospital visits/stays in the past six months.
- Excessive swelling of the legs and ankles, even when feet are propped up.
- Difficulty breathing, even at rest or with increased oxygen levels.
- Weakness during activities of daily living.
- Frequent changes in medications.