The average life expectancy for
someone with Alzheimer ’s
dementia is 12 years.
h
Caring for Loved Ones with Late Stage Dementia
The average life expectancy for someone
with Alzheimer’s dementia is 12 years,
but many people do not begin to plan for
end of life until it is too late. For good
end of life care early communication,
exploration of patient’s wishes, and
identification of someone who can
represent them are important (Goodman,
Amador, Elmore, Machen and Mathie,
2013).
There have been many studies done
that show how hospice care can help
support and improve end of life care for
those affected by dementia. There are
many studies being done to show how
beneficial this benefit is to those with
all chronic diseases including dementia
but how many people are unable to
take advantage of this benefit due to
the exclusion criteria. The criteria are
designed for illnesses such as cancer
with a very predictable trajectory, not
a disease trajectory like dementia,
that can be long and unpredictable.
Prognostication is particularly
challenging in end-stage dementia. This
requirement has hindered access and
appropriate timing of hospice referral for
patients with dementia (Mitchell, Kiely,
Miller, Connor, Spence and Teno, 2007).
Since people with end stage dementia
can no longer verbally communicate
their wishes, families benefit from the
support of a team of providers that can
help establish a care plan reflecting the
patients’ perceived or previously stated
wishes (Shega and Tozer, 2009). One
of the many benefits of hospice care is
the interdisciplinary and person centered
approach to care. This approach
encourages both the patient and family
to determine
together what the
goals of care should
be. Those affected
by dementia may
not have the
capacity to make all
Gayle Osterberg
decisions, but they
RN, CHPN
do have the ability
Clinical Educator
to let their wishes be for Pathways Hospice
made known. One of
the best ways to do this is to create a
plan of care specific for a person with
dementia, a person centered dementia
care profile. This profile addresses the
specific needs of those with dementia.
In choosing a hospice it is important to
ask if they have a program specifically
designed to meet the unique needs of
those affected by dementia and their
families.
A COMMUNITY-BASED NON-PROFIT AGENCY
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