Sanctuary Hospice can help patients with  many illnesses, including cancer, dementia, heart disease and others.

The below information is often found helpful for clinical providers in determining hospice eligibility.

Patients with terminal illness may be approporiate for hospice care if he or she has one or more of the following:

• Physical decline; increased dependence
• Sudden, unexpected weight loss
• Decreased oral intake; related to worsening debility and/or dysphasia
• Multiple comorbid conditions
• Frequent or recurrent infections; UTI, pneumonia
• Frequent, recent hospital visits
• Advanced disease that for which the patient declines aggressive care

Some qualifying diseases and signs that hospice may need to be consulted are:

Heart Disease, Congestive Heart Failure

A patient  with heart disease may be eligible for hospice care if he or she has one or more of these:

~ Trouble breathing at rest, even without exertion

~ Difficulty carrying out daily tasks (because of water-retention, difficulty breathing, or generalized weakness)

~ Taking multiple medications for high blood pressure and water retention but they are not working well

~ Trouble with heart rhythm (has or does not have a pacemaker and/or internal defibrillator)

Lung Disease, COPD

A patient  with lung disease may be eligible for hospice care if he or she has one or more of these:

~ Trouble breathing at rest, even without exertion

~ Difficulty carrying out daily tasks (because of difficulty breathing or generalized weakness)

~ Frequent lung infections

~ Is taking multiple medications for breathing that don’t seem to work well

Kidney Disease

A patient  with kidney disease may be eligible for hospice care if he or she has one or more of these:

~ Poor kidney function that requires dialysis

~ Inability to receive dialysis or kidney transplant

~ Decreased amount when urinating

~ Swelling/fluid retention

~ Mental changes (confusion, nausea) with constant itching

~ Difficulty carrying out daily tasks because of generalized weakness

Dementia

A patient  with dementia may be eligible for hospice care if he or she has one or more of these:

~ Incontinence of bowel and bladder

~ Speech of less than 6 different words per day

~ Dependence on others for activities of daily living (dressing/bathing/grooming)

~ Inability to sit up or hold head up without help

~ Inability to walk without help

~ Frequent infections

~ Weight loss

HIV/AIDS

A patient  with HIV/AIDS may be eligible for hospice care if he or she has one or more of these:

~ Anti-retroviral therapy is no longer effective

~ Very low CD4 load and/or very high viral load

~ Frequent infections and/or wounds

~ Mental changes (confusion, poor judgment, decreased coordination)

~ Difficulty managing activities of daily living (dressing/bathing/grooming)

Liver Disease

A patient  with liver disease may be eligible for hospice care if he or she has one or more of these:

~ Cirrhosis, not a candidate for an organ transplant

~ Frequent, difficult to control bleeding

~ Abdominal swelling not improved with medications

~ Infections

~ Mental changes (confusion, lack of judgment, agitation)

~ Difficulty carrying out daily tasks due to generalized weakness

Stroke or Coma

A patient  who has had a stroke or is in a coma may be eligible for hospice care if he or she has one or more of these:

~ Coma or “persistent vegetative state” for more than 3 days

~ Inability to eat/drink to sustain life

~ Dependent on others for activities of daily living (dressing/bathing/grooming)