Generally, hospice care is recommended when a physician determines a patient has a prognosis of six months or less. Hospice is designed for patients with life-limiting illnesses when the focus of care transitions from curative treatment to comfort. Eleos Hospice exists to ensure every patient in Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana receives the highest quality care wherever they call home. Our services also include management of durable medical equipment, medications, and related hospice care supplies.
Having the “hospice talk” can feel difficult for patients, families, and health care providers alike. Together with our Medical Director and community resources, Eleos has established a list of frequent indicators that may mean a patient could benefit from starting hospice care services.
When to Call Hospice
If your loved one is experiencing any of the following symptoms, it may mean that it’s time to call Eleos Hospice:
Weakness/difficulty completing activities of daily living
- Frequent falls with or without injury
- Multiple Hospitalizations or emergency room visits
- Frequent, recurring, or intractable infections
- Difficulty breathing, even at rest or with the use of oxygen
- Excessive swelling of the ankles, legs, or abdomen
- Unable to sleep through the night due to shortness of breath
- Pain that is uncontrolled or unmanaged by current regimen
- Decrease or loss of appetite
- Unintentional weightloss
- Confusion or disorientation
- Non-healing wounds
- Difficulty or loss of speech
- Decision to stop treatments or lack of response to aggressive treatments and therapies
- Generalized decline not otherwise mentioned above
