The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that nearly 50 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias worldwide and nearly 16 million Americans provide unpaid care for their loved one living with the disease.
Caring for your loved one with end-stage dementia is challenging. Hospice can help you. Hospice care for dementia in South Jersey is special care that provides comfort, support, and dignity at the end of life. It addresses physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs, aids you – the caregiver – in providing hands-on care, and offers a team approach to maintaining quality of life.
Samaritan cares for many patients with end-stage dementia each year and has been the premier hospice provider in South NJ since 1980.
Choosing hospice care for dementia during its final stages helps preserve quality of life and dignity for your loved one as their needs intensify.
You gain an extra layer of support through a team of trained professionals, including a board-certified physician, hospice-certified nurse, social worker, spiritual support counselor, certified home health aide, and a volunteer.
Team members such as a nurse or certified home health aide visit regularly and tend to the physical needs of your loved one. The certified home health aide bathes your loved one and changes the bed linens while the nurse addresses any disease-related symptoms your loved one may be experiencing. You will also have peace of mind with 24/7 phone access to dementia and hospice experts when you have a question or need additional help.
A social worker aids with emotional needs, understanding care options, completing advance directives, and connecting you with community resources. A spiritual support counselor explores your spiritual concerns, makes sense out of life’s changes, reconciles feelings of guilt or regret, discover sources of hope, and more.
A volunteer offers companionship and provides you, the caregiver, a much-needed break. Caring for a loved one with dementia is overwhelming and when a volunteer visits you are able to take a nap or run an errand.
Your loved one with dementia is typically eligible for hospice when his or her physician certifies that they are terminally ill – or has six months or less to live. However, don’t wait for your physician to bring up hospice care for dementia. By being your loved one’s healthcare advocate, and inquiring about hospice care sooner than later, you and your loved one will experience the many benefits of this extra layer of support.
People living with Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementias may be eligible for hospice care when they exhibit one or more of the following hospice criteria:
Let our expert nurses determine if your loved one with dementia is eligible for hospice care in South NJ. Call us 24/7 at (800) 229-8183.
Samaritan offers two inpatient hospice facilities in South NJ if your loved one is receiving hospice care and experiencing severe symptoms from end-stage dementia.
Hospice care is provided mostly in your home, assisted living, or nursing home. However, sometimes needs change and your hospice nurse may recommend transfer to The Samaritan Center at Voorhees or The Samaritan Center at Mount Holly.
Samaritan’s two inpatient hospice facilities provide short-term stays for hospice patients experiencing severe pain, shortness of breath, nausea, agitation, and other symptoms. Your hospice nurse will work with you to decide if an inpatient hospice facility is the right choice for your loved one with dementia.
If you live in Southern New Jersey, let Samaritan’s expert nurses help you decide if hospice care is right for your loved one living with dementia. Call us 24/7 at (800) 229-8183 to learn more.