A life-limiting illness is an incurable chronic disease or condition that no longer respond to curative treatments.
Examples of a life-limiting illness include:
Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia
Stroke
ALS
Parkinson’s Disease
Heart Disease
Pulmonary Disease
Liver Disease
End-stage Renal Disease
AIDS
Cancer
A life limiting illness, coupled with symptoms below, could be indicators of decline and hospice eligibility:
Frequent hospitalizations, ER visits, or visits to the physician within the last six months
Progressive weight loss (with consideration to weight gain factors such as edema, when applicable)
Decreasing appetite
Dysphagia or difficulty swallowing
Increased weakness or fatigue
Decline in cognitive status or functional abilities
Increasing assistance needed with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
Increasing pain or increasing difficulty in controlling pain
Increasing dyspnea or shortness of breath
Oxygen dependency
Reoccurring infections
Ascites
Increased nausea and/or vomiting that is difficult to control
A desire to forgo future hospitalizations
A request to discontinue treatment
Recurrent or frequent infections
Skin breakdown
A specific decline in condition
If you or a loved one has a life-limiting illness and are experiencing any of the above symptoms, consider speaking to your physician about hospice services. You can also call Hospice of the Midwest, and one of our team members can help guide you through the process of requesting hospice through your physician.
