Re: Hospice/Tom

[Guest guest]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for all your information. I have a feeling that

you are right. Not to be pessimistic, but when Hospice

evaluated my husband, he could do " Show Time " very

well and all of a sudden he speaks clearly and acts

lucid. With me he mummbles and whispers. I kept

repeating he has Lewy Body Dementia, it's part of the

symptom that he can speak clearly, but of course she

looked at me like I was the crazy one. I am so

frustrated with this disease. Dena says also one of

the things Hospice evaluates is if they can't hold up

their head and Jim can hold his head upright. Hospice

told me if Jim could sit up from a lying position with

assistance, he did not qualify and he can sit up with

assistance, so he didn't qualify along with the " Show

Time " we really didn't have a chance. Sometimes I wish

I could put tape over his mouth. The one time in a

year this Christmas one of Jim's sons came to visit

and Jim knew his name, well of course, he must be

fine. I am finding myself saying, " It's not good that

he knows your name, it is not the true picture of what

is going on " The look I got for saying, " It's not good

that he knows your name. " I wish he had Alzheimers, it

would be so much more easier for people to understand

this nightmare.

I am not giving up though and will follow the advice

given by many here and I will give the numbers given

by supporters a try and see what results I get.

Thanks for your input Tom..........Jan

--- Tom Guggenbiller wrote:

> A couple of notes on hospice problems.....in my part

> of Ohio the hospices'

> main criteria for accepting dementia patients is

> " being able to speak 6

> intelligible words " if you can do that bedridden or

> not you don't stand a

> chance....and all other functions must be in and

> show steady decline or the

> patient suffers an " event " ....another reason we are

> all facing problems

> getting hospice is that Medicare is losing more

> money providing hospice than

> they did without providing hospice services and let

> everyone go to

> hospitals, according to an article in Newsweek from

> a few months

> ago...wished I'd saved it......and I know how

> wasteful I felt flushing all

> those unused , unopened drugs down the toilet (as

> instructed by hospice)

> after Dad died....my local pharmacist and I figured

> the cost at about $700

> .....some of it is really worthwhile and sadly a lot

> of it is wasted

> resources.....Tom

>

>

>

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