Hospice use for the patient with advanced Alzheimer's disease: The role of the geriatric psychiatrist

Advanced Alzheimer's disease (AD) can place an immense burden on caregivers as they struggle to provide end-of-life (EOL) care for the patient. Palliative care, as delivered by hospice, provides a viable solution. Hospice maintains the patient's quality of life (QOL) and helps the family d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias 2004-03, Vol.19 (2), p.94-104
Main Authors: Aupperle, Peter M., MacPhee, Edward R., Strozeski, Janet E., Finn, Myra, Heath, John M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Alzheimer Disease - economics
Alzheimer Disease - therapy
Geriatric Psychiatry - economics
Geriatric Psychiatry - methods
Hospice Care - economics
Hospice Care - statistics & numerical data
Humans
Medicare
Nursing Homes
Palliative Care
Patient Education as Topic
Physician's Role
Professional-Family Relations
Quality of Life
Severity of Illness Index
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Summary:Advanced Alzheimer's disease (AD) can place an immense burden on caregivers as they struggle to provide end-of-life (EOL) care for the patient. Palliative care, as delivered by hospice, provides a viable solution. Hospice maintains the patient's quality of life (QOL) and helps the family during the grieving process. However, many providers are not familiar with hospice and its care for advanced AD patients. Geriatric psychiatrists can be central in implementing hospice, and they can remain an important part of the care once it is in place. A principal clinical challenge is establishing the six-month prognosis for such patients, which is a prerequisite for initiating hospice admission.
ISSN:1533-3175
1938-2731
DOI:10.1177/153331750401900204