Understanding Hospice Care
Who Should be Referred for Hospice Care?
When the hospice movement in the United States began more than 25 years ago, it was viewed primarily as care for end-stage cancer patients. But the types of illnesses in patients served by hospice have evolved over the years along with the criteria for admission to our program.
Today, slightly fewer than half of our patients do have cancer, but we care for and have expertise in the care of patients with many life-limiting illnesses and conditions. In addition to cancer, this list includes:
- AIDS
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- ALS, also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”
- Cardiomyopathy
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Emphysema
- Heart disease
- Liver disease
- Renal or respiratory/pulmonary disease (end stage)
- Stroke
Sometimes in the last months of life, people may simply lose weight and become weaker. Adult Failure to Thrive and Dementia are acceptable hospice diagnoses.
