Caring for Someone: Hospice of Helping Hands, Inc.

Call: 800-992-6592
Nights and Weekends:
866-446-7742

We provide free
informational visits

Being a caregiver is difficult and trying. Many caregivers look into hospice care because they need help and support. All too often we hear families tell us, "I wish we would have called you sooner!" The earlier a patient and family get hospice care the greater the benefits they receive.

Many caregivers are hesitant to call hospice thinking that it means they have given up on their loved one. However, calling hospice doesn't mean you have given up. It means you have taken a step in taking control of the disease. It means you want to treat the pain and symptoms so that your loved one can enjoy their life.

Sometimes we hear caregivers say that if they accept hospice care, they think their loved one will die right away. Let us calm your fears with these recent statistics:

According to a Duke University study, they found that each of the following patient diseases diagnosis' experienced extended average life spans by 21 or more days if receiving hospice care.

CHF - 81 days

Lung Cancer - 39 days

Colon Cancer - 33 days

Pancreatic Cancer - 21 days

Discussing hospice is a difficult topic and it can be hard to determine if your loved one is ready for hospice care. At Hospice of Helping Hands we care for patients of all ages and various life-limiting illnesses. It is our goal to bring comfort in their final stages of life. The type of illness the patient has does not matter. We serve patients living with:

Cancer
COPD and other Lung Diseases
Heart Disease
Alzheimer’s or Dementia
Renal (Kidney) Disease
AIDS
Or any other life-limiting illness

In fact, it is common that a patient may have a combination of complicated health issues that validate hospice care is needed. With that in mind, if you think your loved one and family could benefit from hospice care, call us.

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Informal Hospice Eligibility Questionnaire

Your loved one may be eligible for hospice care if you check four or more statements. However, your primary physician and our Medical Director will make the final decision regarding eligibility. Please check the following statements as they apply to you or your loved one to see if hospice care may be appropriate.

They have started feeling more tired and weak.
They experience shortness of breath, even when resting.
They spend most of the day in bed or in a chair.
They have experienced significant weight loss in the past six months.
They make frequent phone calls to the physician.
They take medications to lessen physical pain.
They have fallen several times in the past six months.
They have made frequent trips to the emergency room in the past six months.
They need help from others with important daily activities. (bathing, dressing, eating, cooking, walking, getting out of bed)
They have had to take an antibiotic for infection 3 or more times in the past six months.
Their physician has told me my life expectancy is limited or their disease is terminal. (call now)
Name:
Address:
City:	State:	Zip:
Email Address:
Phone Number:
Comments:

If you have checked four or more items on the questionnaire and submitted, we will be calling you promptly. However, if you have checked four or more items on the questionnaire and not submitted, please call our office at 800-992-6592 to speak to a nurse regarding hospice eligibility and how we can help you.

Additional Resources:

Below are links to different websites that have videos featuring end-of-life choices and decisions. Hopefully they are helpful to you and your family.

Edge of Life Videos and Articles

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

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