Family members should discuss their concerns and wishes about end-of-life care long before it comes time for it. Doing this will reduce stress when the time comes to make a decision on whether or not to enter a patient into hospice. The right time to start hospice care is after a patient has been diagnosed by a physician with a terminal illness with less than six months to live. Some symptoms that may qualify a patient for hospice include frequent hospitalizations, a decline in their ability to perform daily tasks of life, falling frequently, a decline in mental abilities, or progressive weight loss.
Don’t wait until the last days or weeks to call hospice. Taking advantage of free hospice care benefits like pain management, medical equipment, and support can vastly improve the quality of life for patients and their family members.