Hospice is not just for people with
end-stage cancer. Hospice can help people with a variety of
life-limiting conditions, when symptoms no longer respond to curative
treatment. The list below may serve as a guide. Ask your doctor or
contact your local hospice to learn more about your situation.
1. AIDS
-
Medication no longer slows disease progression
-
Increasing infections
-
Difficulties with self-care
-
Continued weight loss and weakness
2.
ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
-
Decreased ability for self-care
-
Impaired swallowing, breathing
-
Muscle wasting or rigidity
-
Progressive weight loss
3. Alzheimer’s Disease or Senile
Dementia
-
Difficulty swallowing
-
Loss of bowel and bladder control
-
Inability to speak, dress and feed oneself
-
Progressive weight loss
4. Cancer
-
Spread to other organs (metastases)
-
Treatment no longer slows disease progression
-
Continued weight loss
5. Congestive Heart Disease
-
Severe fatigue
-
Shortness of breath at rest
-
Chronic fluid build-up in chest and extremities
-
Frequent hospitalizations
6.
End-Stage Kidney Disease
-
Severe fluid build-up in abdomen and
extremities
-
Unstable disease requiring frequent
hospitalizations
-
Dialysis or transplant appropriate,
but not desired
7. Lung Disease
-
Poor control of symptoms
-
Disabling shortness of breath with discomfort
-
Dependency on oxygen
-
Frequent crisis hospitalizations
8. Multi-system Breakdown
-
Multiple organ failure, such as heart disease
and chronic lung disease
-
Continued decline in overall health
9. Stroke
-
Coma or persistent vegetative state; irreversible damage
-
Inability to swallow
-
Need for total care
These guidelines are available in a 4"
x 9" card format. They are ideal as an informational handout and
can be printed with your hospice's logo. For more details, please
call (202) 223-0204.
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© 2004. American Hospice Foundation.
All Rights Reserved.
2120 L Street, NW ~ Suite 200 ~ Washington, DC 20037
Tel: 202-223-0204 ~ Fax: 202-223-0208 ~ E-mail: ahf@americanhospice.org
www.americanhospice.org
