3-7-10 Why hospice?

That other post was getting too long and this is a different subject but perhaps needs some explanation. WE did not send Dad to the hospital since he was on hospice. While on hospice, Medicare will not pay for hospitalization or ride there except when needed for comfort care, e.g., compound fracture fallowing a fall. So a hospice Rn came out and said it sure seemed like a stroke, but could not authenticate that as a nurse. Dad has always been very clear that he did not want extraordinary care or even life lengthening care if his condition was significantly compromised. As Visitation Pastor at Mountain View, he was saw many persons whose conditions was similar to what he is like now. On many occasions (not just a few), Dad said to me that he did not want to have tube feedings, be sustained when he could not communicate, etc. He completed a POLST (Physicians Orders for Life Sustaining Treatments) Form in the presence of Dr Dumler and me. We discussed each segment and chose mid-range options, but with the understanding that they would be changed as needed to Comfort Care Only when appropriate. Many times in the last 6 months i have pulled that out, like when we moved from Fisher's Landing but a number of times since. Each time, i was not sure it was time for complete comfort care options. But a week ago, a full week before this event, i took him in to see Dr. Dumler again specifically to address his POLST. She was not sure he qualified but was very agreeable that a hospice consult was indicated per his decreased function and 6 recent falls and accompanying risk for significant life-limiting or life-ending falls. The hospice eval was easily conclusive that he would benefit from the frequent Rn visits etc and that he fit plenty of criteria for hospice care. A week later he has this event. (Remember that Mom died one week after being admitted to hospice service, for pain management!) Well, it's hours past bed time. I hope this has been helpful to some. Merv