Investigators from the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute studied 1,500 elderly adults with dementia as they transitioned through various care settings. While about three quarters (74%) of the dementia patients were placed in nursing homes after a hospitalization, they did not stay there. In fact, only 19% died in facilities, compared to 46% who died at home.
Lead researcher Christopher Callahan, M.D., said that "a better understanding of the relationships between sites of care for older adults with dementia is fundamental to building better models of care for these vulnerable elders."
Of course some of this points to in-home hospice care as a growing trend. As you look to expand hospice beyond hospitals, nursing homes and stand-alone facilities, put yourself in the consumers' shoes and answer these questions.
- What services are provided?
- What kind of support is available to the family/caregiver?
- What roles do the attending physician and hospice play?
- What does the hospice volunteer do?
- How does hospice work to keep the patient comfortable?
- How are hours covered in a home setting?
- What hospital and long term care providers do you work?
- How long does it typically take the hospice to enroll someone once the request for services is made?
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. The organization is committed to improving end of life care and expanding access to hospice care with the goal of profoundly enhancing quality of life for people dying in America and their loved ones. I would check them out as the nature of death and dying changes in this country and more importantly as the conversation around these issues grows and changes too.
Learn more ~ or join the conversation!
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