General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: A Fitting Final Gift From Jimmy Carter [View all]W_HAMILTON
(7,884 posts)Put aside the negative connotations.
You can qualify for it even if you aren't about to pass away and, no, contrary to the conspiracy theory, hospice does not "kill" people or made them pass away more quickly.
My mom had dementia and had been going downhill for a few years. She qualified for hospice for maybe two years, but I put it off because I had those same negative thoughts and worries about what it entailed. Finally, her care just got to be too much for me, so we entered a hospice program to get some extra help.
As (bad) luck would have it, I believe the day after we started hospice, she had a stroke.
The extra help I was hoping to get now became necessary help that still wasn't as much as was needed given her newly diminished state. Unfortunately, she passed away after maybe four months being discharged from the rehab facility back to home care with hospice.
Having said that, the hospice team was incredible. Oh, how much better our lives would have been had we opted for hospice earlier on when she qualified for it. So, anyone that bother to read my story, I hope you listen to my advice. From what I've heard, I wasn't the first person to tell them that I regretted not seeking their help sooner.
At worst, give it a shot. If it isn't for you, you can always terminate the care and go about it on your own.