How Do You Know If It's Time For Hospice Care?
Knowing when it is time for hospice care can help you make informed choices and help give your loved one a better quality of life.
Request CareSigns That It May Be Time for Hospice
- Treatment is no longer working or providing meaningful improvement
- A life expectancy of six months or less
- Frequent hospitalizations or emergency room visits
- Overall health continues to decline
- Increased weakness, fatigue, or sleeping
- Frequent falls or difficulty walking
- Increasing confusion or changes in behavior
- Difficulty with bathing, dressing, eating, or other daily activities
- Decreased appetite or unintentional weight loss
- Recurring infections
- Changes in bowel or bladder function
- Caregivers are feeling stressed or overwhelmed
If you are noticing any of these changes, contact Hospice of Lenawee at 517-263-2323. Our team is available to answer your questions and help determine whether hospice care may be appropriate.
How Can Hospice Care Help?
Hospice care is a specialized medical care approach that focuses on the whole person, addressing their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs during the final stages of life. Rather than pursuing curative treatments, the emphasis shifts to managing pain, relieving discomfort, and supporting quality of life.
Hospice is not defined by a place, as care can be provided wherever a patient calls home. Hospice also extends its support to families and caregivers, helping them find guidance, education, and relief.
How to Start the Hospice Conversation
Talking to a loved one about hospice can feel overwhelming. Our team is here to help guide you through this process and answer any questions along the way.
Learn MoreAdditional Resources
We invite you to visit our resources section, where you will find a variety of guides designed to help patients, families, and caregivers navigate every stage of the hospice journey.
Learn MoreGet Compassionate Care for Your Loved One at Hospice of Lenawee
At Hospice of Lenawee, we offer a variety of hospice care options in Lenawee County and surrounding areas, including portions of Jackson, Hillsdale, Washtenaw, and Monroe Counties, tailored to meet your loved one's unique needs, whether that involves our inpatient care program at our hospice home, respite care, or bereavement counseling.
Our team is made up of experts in pain and symptom management, and we are committed to ensuring that your loved one receives the comfort and quality of life they deserve. As a caregiver, you will also receive education and ongoing support.
Explore Our Care Options
Frequently Asked Questions
There is really no clear answer for everyone wanting to know exactly when it is time to call hospice without a professional assessment. However, if your loved one is experiencing several of the signs described above, it may be the right time to reach out. We encourage you to get in touch with your healthcare provider to get a more accurate answer based on the patient's condition and eligibility.
While hospice is generally intended for individuals with a prognosis of six months or less, the actual length of their stay varies widely from person to person. Many people receive such attentive care that they live longer than initially expected.
Your hospice doctor will assess your loved one's condition on an ongoing basis, and if their health improves, they may be discharged from hospice care. At Hospice of Lenawee, we work with each patient and family to design a plan of care that fits their unique needs and circumstances.
Hospice care supports individuals living with a terminal illness. Some of the most common illnesses among hospice patients include ALS, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, dementia, heart disease, kidney disease, Parkinson's disease, and lung disease.
However, hospice is not limited to these conditions alone. If your loved one is living with any serious illness and could benefit from comfort-focused care, we encourage you to reach out to Hospice of Lenawee to explore whether our services may be right for them.