Why Now

Hospice can provide the most appropriate care at this stage of dementia.

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  • It is likely that your loved one has been living with the effects of dementia for a number of years

  • Admission to hospice with dementia usually means that another illness has significantly impacted health. Additional illnesses such as recent hospitalization for infection (sepsis) often accelerate the pace of decline in patients with dementia

  • Dementia is a progressive illness, and over time the body becomes more fragile and less able to recover from additional stress or illness

Entering into hospice care means that there has been a progression to the last stages of dementia which include:

Being largely bed bound
Often incontinent of urine and bowels

Increasing loss of ability to sit up, hold head up

Increasing inability to speak more than a few words

Loss of ability to smile

Some degree of weight loss

Recurrent infections

  • Even if the dementia itself does not seem dramatically worse, the body may now be too weakened to recover from additional illness

  • Each hospitalization or infection can significantly reduce strength and increase the risk of dying

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