Study Casts Doubt on Hospice Admission Criteria for Patients With Dementia

Study Casts Doubt on Hospice Admission Criteria for Patients With Dementia - healthfinder.gov: Many people with advanced dementia aren't getting much-needed hospice care because the admission criteria is flawed. Dementia is a leading cause of death in the U.S., and hospice care can benefit patients with dementia. The main hindrance to getting palliative [comfort] care is guidelines that try to guide practitioners to wait until an estimated life expectancy of six months. Such end-of-life predictions are difficult to make with certainty in dementia cases. Instead of using life expectancy as the requirement for admission, hospice care for dementia patients should be offered based on the patient's and family's desire for comfort care.